Behind The Scenes
by cyke93
Summary: It was the party before THE PARTY and anyone who’s anyone at Tree Hill High was at Nathan’s Scott’s house to celebrate but a startling revelation might put a damper on the pre-prom festivities for some. Naley! Complete!
1. Chapter 1

Behind The Scenes

Summary: It was the party before THE PARTY and anyone who's anyone at Tree Hill High was at Nathan's Scott's house to celebrate but a startling revelation might put a damper on the pre-prom festivities for some.

Note: Yes, the last thing I should be doing is another story but I'm doing this as a one shot with the potential of being a story. Sorry for not updating Winners and Losers but this has been stuck in my head. Enjoy.

This takes place senior year before prom. Nathan and Haley never got together like how you saw on the show. Lucas and Nathan still had their differences but sort of buried the hatchet. That's basically all you need to know, all the changes from the actual show will be evident as you read. Check out my other storiesd if you have the chance, The Mourning After and Winners and Losers were recently updated. Enjoy and please review!

. . . . .

"What time does this thing start?" Haley said as she lazily lied on Lucas' bed, flipping through a magazine.

"Actually, now but we could leave in 30." Lucas said as he was flipping through clothes in his closet. He looked over at Haley, who was giving him a knowing look.

"What, I don't want to be too early… it's not like anyone goes there on time."

"This is a Nathan Scott party, Bevin once told me that people lined up around the block for an hour before he let people in but even so he had some guys on the team act as bouncers."

"Oh yeah, I heard about that party, he turned his beach house into his own personal club.. see I know deep down you wanted to go." Lucas teased, knowing full well how Haley and Nathan didn't really get along.

"I never said that but what I was going to say was .. do we have to go?" Haley whined. "I mean we can go watch a movie or something.. we're going to the prom tomorrow night anyways… isn't that enough partying?"

"See.. and you wonder why people call you tutorgirl… come on Hales.. it's the end of senior year.. live a little."

"I do." She said with confidence. Just because Haley appeared to be straight as an arrow on the outside didn't mean she didn't know how to let loose, she thought to herself.

"It's just, do we have to go to one of _his _parties?"

Lucas rolled his eyes, he could already hear her complaints.

"It's bad enough I have to see him more so I can prepare him for finals.. now I gotta go to some stupid party he's throwing."

"You know.. you'd think that after you started tutoring him that you two would finally get along."

"We do get along." Haley stated matter of fact-ly. "It's just that I don't want to see him outside our tutoring sessions, seeing him there is plenty."

"Hales.. I know you're still a little sore at him for you know all that stuff last year but come on.. he's.. you know.."

"He's what?"

"My brother.." Lucas mumbled.

"Well.. who would've thought that a year ago that you would finally acknowledging Nathan Scott as your brother." Haley snickered though deep down she was glad and relieved to see the two of them getting along.

Lucas shook his head, he still found it a little weird to actually be getting along with Nathan and now he was attending one of his parties. It was hard at first, he despised him but the two bonded over the game and found that Nathan was someone he could trust and be friends with. He was actually really happy that they were getting along, but lately, he wished that Nathan and Haley could get along.

"Ha ha very funny.. look I admit that I hated him even more after I joined the team.. he was an ass."

"I'm not doubting you there." Haley huffed as she flipped through another page.

"But I got to know him better and yeah, he's not that bad of a guy .. come on you must know that.. you've been spending a lot of time with him."

"Yeah and I can say for sure that he's still an ass."

Lucas shook his head. He figured that if he could get along with Nathan, surely his best friends could, but then again who said lightening strikes twice.

. . . .

"You ready?" Lucas asked.

"Do we have to?" Haley dropped her head back down on the bed.

"Come on Hales.." Lucas took her hands and grabbed her up. "Trust me, you're going to have a good time."

"Yeah.. yeah.. well let's get going then, the sooner we go, the sooner we can leave." Haley said as the two walked out of Lucas' house.

. . . . . .

Nathan walked around with a plastic red cup in his hand. He passed by a couple of people and like a good host, he was doing his rounds and saying hi to some of his friends that were currently partying at his house. He walked into the kitchen where he saw non other than Brooke Davis and Peyton Sawyer walk in.

"Ladies.." Nathan smirked as he put his drink down and took two fresh cups, handing it over to his new guests.

"Why thank you Nathan." Brooke eagerly took her cup.

"Good party." Peyton commented as she took her own. The three chatted for a little bit before a distinct voice could be heard in the background.

"Oh great, don't tell me your prom date is here?" Brooke rolled her eyes. Peyton laughed, finding it funny that Brooke and Rachel still didn't get along. It amused her so because the two were more alike than they realized.

"Natey, there you are!" Rachel said in her high pitched voice as she happily skipped into the kitchen and gave Nathan kiss. Brooke tried not to choke on her drink, wanting nothing more than to throw the contents at Rachel and taking Peyton's drink and doing the same, then using both cups to cover her ears. Brooke tried to hide her laughter when she noticed Nathan tilt his head so that her lips landed on his cheeks rather than his lips.

"Rachel.." Nathan tried to sound upbeat.

"Oh hey Peyton… you!" Rachel said as she looked at Peyton and then with disgust at Brooke.

"Come on Peyton, let's go in the living room, hopefully the music there will help drown out the chimpmunk here." Brooke said as the two left the kitchen.

Rachel choose to ignore her comments and focus in on Nathan.

"So I can't wait until tomorrow night.." She said seductively as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Although I'm willing to let you get a preview tonight." She whispered into his ears.

Just then Nathan heard the sound of the door slamming and Haley James walking through.

"Get a room." Haley snorted as she walked passed them.

"Get new clothes!" Rachel shot back.

Nathan seized the opportunity to take a step back and walk over to Lucas who just came in. "Hey Rach, I'm going to say hi to Lucas.."

"Yeah.. fine.. I'll catch you later.." She smirked as she trailed her fingers down his chest.

"Hey Luke.." Nathan called out as the two pumped fists. "What took you so long?"

"I thought I'd beat the rush." Lucas joked as the two walked over to the counter. Nathan handed him a drink while Nathan picked up the one he left before.

"So I see you and Rachel are going well.. how's that going?"

"Fine.." Nathan shrugged.

"Don't worry Nate, you'll fine the one."

"The one?"

"Look I can already tell your not into her.. she's just going to be like all those other girls you hooked up this past year.."

Nathan tried to keep a straight face but knew it was useless. Lucas saw right through him.

"I don't understand why you're still taking her to prom.."

"Well, it's not like she didn't give me a choice but whatever.. it's just some party.."

"Whatever you say man." Lucas said as he took another sip. He still didn't understand why his brother agreed to take Rachel as his date.

"Speaking of prom dates.. I see yours is in a good mood tonight." Nathan said sarcastically.

"Yeah.. well Haley kind of didn't want to come tonight."

"Well she's more than welcomed to leave." Nathan smiled.

"Nate, don't start."

"What?"

"You know, would it kill you two to just get along? I mean look at us.."

"Well you're different.. first you're my brother and second of all you're a guy not some crazy bitch.."

"Says the guy who came to tutoring late yesterday because he was still fixing his hair." Haley commented as she stood next to Lucas and grabbed his drink from him.

"Hey I was drinking that!" Lucas called out.

"Oh well." Haley smiled and shrugged.

"Well well.. Mount Saint Haley drinking a beer.. now something is wrong with this picture." Nathan teased.

"Are you calling me fat?!" Haley's eyes went wide.

Lucas shook his head, _not again_.

"Well, it's a good thing I told Tim to get a keg of Bud _LIGHT_."

"Why you!!" Haley was about to throw her drink at Nathan but Lucas intervened and took the drink from her hand.

"Come on Hales.." Lucas said quickly. "I think they got more drinks in the front.."

Haley glared at Nathan for a moment, who wasn't trying to hide his amusement at all. She could kill him for his devastating blue eyes and killer smile.

"I thought you were going be nice." Lucas looked over at Nathan once Haley left the room.

"What I was?"

"You call that nice!?"

"I called her a saint didn't I?" Nathan shot back.

Lucas couldn't help but chuckle. "You guys are hopeless."

. . . .

"Tutorgirl, you're here!!" Brooke exclaimed as she hugged Haley.

"You're just in time.. we're about play I Never." Peyton said.

"Umm.. I don't know guys.." Haley said nervously.

"You chicken or something? I mean you got the legs of one." Rachel snickered as she walked up.

"Well at least I keep my legs closed." Haley glared. "Let's play." Haley said as she raised her cup.

"Okay I'll go first!" Bevin said as she raised her hands. "I ummm.. never cheated on a test."

No surprise, everyone took a sip.

"I always knew you cheated to be valedictorian." Rachel said after she saw Haley took a sip.

"My mom was sick I couldn't study.. you know what nevermind.."

Sensing the tension in the room, Peyton quickly chimed in.

"I never went to a concert!"

After everyone took a sip, "Way to spice it up P. Sawyer." Brooke teased and Peyton glared at her.

"Let's see.. I never had a bouncer check my fake ID and thought I was 30." Brooke tried to hold her laughter. Rachel just gave her an evil look.

"It was dark and the guy was obviously blind." Rachel defended herself.

Brooke laughed. "Drink up."

Rachel shook her head as she was the only one to take a sip.

Now, it was Haley's turn. "I never had to stalk a guy for a month in order for him to take me to prom." Haley fired back from Rachel's previous comment.

Rachel gritted her teeth and quickly blurted out. "I never had SEX!" Rachel exclaimed and looked straight at Haley.

Haley was shocked for a moment, unsure of what to do. Everyone else had their hands over their mouths that Rachel would say such a thing. Haley was a feisty girl but she was always the good girl and while others looked at her virginity as a good thing, other people like Rachel only used it as a weapon.

Mustering her strength, Haley put her cup down and walked away. Rachel smiled to herself, proud of what she just did.

"You're such a bitch." Brooke said as she walked away.

Nathan saw the whole thing from across the room and he also shook his head and looked down.

. . . .

Moments later, Nathan came out of his house and saw some people lingering about. He looked around and saw Haley sitting down on nearby a bench. Her eyes were red and he knew she was crying.

"Are.. are you okay?" He said nervously as he took a seat at the other end of the bench.

"I'm fine.." She quickly said and turned away.

"You're a little high on yourself, aren't you? Going around telling people you're all fine."

Haley looked at him and couldn't help but smile at the corny joke.

"I saw what happened back there.. I'm.. I'm sorry." Nathan said sincerely now that the tension was broken.

Haley took a deep breath. "God, I'm so sick of how everyone just thinks of me as just Haley.. tutorgirl.. straight A student .. _the virgin_ .."

"You're a good person Haley.. you shouldn't take that as an insult.. I mean.. look.. look what you did to me… before you I umm.." Nathan stumbled on his words.

"Couldn't write a proper essay." Haley finished for him with a grin on her face.

Nathan looked into her eyes, his gaze heavy. "More than that.." He said softly. Haley looked into them and brown met blue and Haley could feel herself slipping away.

Just then, they heard the sounds of other people and they quickly turned away from each other.

"Just so you know.. I don't think you have chicken legs.." Nathan smirked after an awkward moment of silence.

"God.." Haley rolled her eyes but couldn't help but laugh. "Well would you look at us .. sitting here laughing.. I wonder what Lucas would say."

"He'd probably think he was in the Twilight Zone.." He tried to make it sound like a joke but it didn't come out that way.

"Yeah.." Haley sighed as looked down.

"Would .. would I be so bad if we did .. umm. .you know get along?" Haley asked looking up.

"You tell me.." He responded carefully after a moment, as he nervously shuffled his hands together. Just then he glanced at his watch and that reminded him of what time it was. Looking up, he saw Haley in deep thought.

"I.. umm.." She couldn't find the words but when she looked at Nathan, she saw Nathan smiling almost to the point of laughing. "What?" Haley asked confused. "What's so funny?"

"Just wait 5 seconds."

"Huh? What're you .." She said but as soon as the words came out the timed sprinklers started going off.

"Ahh!!" She screamed as she got up. Nathan just simply sat there laughing away.

"Oh my God !!" She screamed. "You are such an ass!" Haley went to smack his arm but he moved away and got up, his laughing still taunting her. "Why you!!" She said frustrated but he continued to laugh despite both of them getting soaked.

"Come on Hales.. I thought you liked the rain!" He teased and laughed again as he started to back away in an attempt to avoid Haley's wrath.

"Come back here!" She yelled, as the two started running around like little kids.

. . . . .

_Nathan Scores_, the videotaped was marked and Tim Smith was curious to see what this was. He put the tape in the VHS player and clicked play.

Tim smiled to himself once he realized what the tape was. He helped Nathan film some of the scenes. It was a highlight reel that Nathan made of him playing basketball. They filmed some of it early junior year he remembered. Everyone started crowding around and watching the scenes. Some of it was from games, others were Nathan playing around and showing off in the driveway.

"Isn't this great!" Tim said as he went to the back of the room to get his drink and glanced over to Lucas.

"Yeah.. great." Lucas said as he looked on to big screen. A couple of "oohhs" and "ahhs" could be heard from the crowd, especially when Nathan dunked. Lucas shook his head and laughed, apparently the man could do no wrong.

"Isn't that Peyton?" Someone said as they showed a couple of scenes with Nathan and Peyton together while they were still dating.

By this point a soaking Nathan and Haley came walking back inside, wondering what's going on.

"What's this?" Nathan asked.

"It's the basketball reel we made, remember?" Tim said.

"Dude, what happened to you guys?" Lucas asked, realizing that Nathan and Haley were wetting the floors.

"Sprinkler incident." Haley glared as he looked up at Nathan, but he was just grinning.

"Do I even want to know?" Lucas shook his head but his eyes went wide once he saw some more intimate moments of Nathan and Peyton.

The scene showed Peyton holding the camera, pointed to herself when Nathan came over and the two shared a steamy kiss on the big screen. Nathan instantly flinched, not really wanting to re-live his drama filled days when he dated Peyton.

Just then, Peyton came walking in and, but she couldn't get through the crowd fast enough though. The scene changed and a shirtless Nathan came on the screen, his back against the camera as he was making out with someone on his bed.

"Turn it off !!" Peyton screamed as she finally made her way through the crowd. Once Nathan saw what was going on, the whole crowd started going wild and he pushed through the crowd to try to turn off with Haley and Lucas right behind him, but the damage was already done as the crowd gathered around the tv and it was hard to get through.

Everyone was stunned silent when Nathan's back moved away from the camera and the girl who was not Peyton showed up on the screen.

"_Come on, I can't believe I'm doing this."_ A bra-clad Haley said, looking at the camera. _"I would die if anyone saw this, Nathan."_ Haley said over the TV.

Haley instantly had a sinking feeling and looked at a terrified Nathan.

"_Don't worry, no one will ever know."_ Nathan smirked for the camera.

"_But the party.." _Haley tried to protest.

"_It's okay, Lucas is bonding with his new teammates." _Nathan said breathlessly as he leaned over and the two shared another sizzling kiss. Nathan's hands roamed to the clasp of Haley's bra but Nathan stopped the tape before it could go further.

Lucas was shocked and stunned. He looked over to an equally shocked and embarrassed Haley and then over to his _supposed_ brother, who was looking back at him with a pleading look.

"Look, Luke that wasn't what it seemed, well yeah but.." Nathan stuttered but before he could get another word out, Lucas' fist came barreling into Nathan's jaw, knocking Nathan to the ground.

"Lucas!" Haley exclaimed as she tried to stop him. But Rachel, grabbed her arm.

"Oh no you don't!!" Rachel glared as she slapped Haley. The slap stopped the two brothers from fighting, well Lucas was trying to throw in punches, while Nathan tried to stop him.

Haley held on to her face before glaring back at Rachel.

"You bitched!!" Haley clenched her fist and it landed straight into Rachel's left eye, sending her right down to the ground.

. . . . .

Haley leaned against the frame of the backdoor. She stood there, looking out over Nathan's back yard.

"There you are.." Nathan said as his arms encircled her waist and she leaned back into him.

"Everyone left.." He said softly as he took a whiff of her now dry hair.

"I .. I didn't want Lucas to find out that way.."

"Yeah.. I know.." He said softly as he placed a kiss on the top of her forehead.

"He's so mad.." She said shaking her head. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah.. I'm fine.. and don't worry about Lucas.. he'll get over it.. umm I think.." He laughed nervously. "How about you? That was some punch you gave Rachel."

"The only highlight of the evening." Haley pouted. She couldn't believe the whole school watched her almost having sex with Nathan on the big screen. Nathan turned Haley around so now she was facing him.

"Well.. I don't know about that." He smirked. "But does this mean I can finally be your date for prom."

Haley smiled back at him and leaned forward and kissed him softly on the lips, but like always, it didn't take long before things got heated. When both needed air, they finally broke apart.

"God, it's only been this morning, I still can't believe how much I want you." Nathan muttered against her lips.

"You should've came by this afternoon." Haley kissed him again as she grabbed his hand and led him off to his bedroom. The night was still young and they had all night and an empty house all to themselves. They would surely face the repercussions of their actions, but not now, not tonight.

Fin?

Continued or not? I'll see what people think, please please review!!!!


	2. Chapter 2

Behind The Scenes

Chapter 2

WOW!! I did not expect that kind of response. When I wrote the chapter, I knew I would get a good amount of feedback but not that many. I hope you guys will keep it up and help keep my inspiration going. I will continue this story and see where it goes since so many of you requested it with only one person telling me otherwise. Now, over the last several months, I've been really busy and had a bunch of different ideas floating around my head, this story was one of them. I think I gave a good enough background in the last chapter that I can incorporate my other ideas into this story. So again thank you for the response, I know you are all dying to know what the hell has been going and believe me you will all know in due time.

I just want to make a comment about last nights episode:

Leyton – totally sucks but yet seems so predictable. I do feel for them and I hope things end well with them. With this whole thing with season 7 and who's staying and going, I really don't know whats going to happen next. Surprised to hear Jake's name. My feelings towards Brucas have changed somewhat, who Lucas ends up with, I really don't care as much anymore but I always thought that Jake and Peyton belong together.

MillieMouth – yawn, but I'm glad it wasn't as long as I thought it should be. They deserved their one minute and that's it. Mouth has always been a good second character, he shouldn't be in the forefront.

Brulien – surprised Julien said I love you so soon, makes me wonder a little bit. I would've liked it better if this was further down the road, Brooke had every right to hold back, they only started dating and she needs time. Julian came off as too strong, they only started dating and let's face it, theyre not Naley. Although, I did love the Brucas angle but we all know that Mark is just teasing us once again.

With that said, enjoy this chapter!

Dan/Deb – Jamie is supposed to be 8 but he looked even younger last night, either way the grandparents were great. It was nice to have a rehash of the past, Dan and Deb never really had that resolution and I'm glad they addressed that Deb was also part of keith's death, albeit an indirect part.

Naley- I liked it but I wasn't in love with hit. I don't know but it felt like they were maybe trying too hard and I would've cleaned up the dialogue more. I mean, why is haley planning everything, not that I didn't mind but where's the sweet loving Nathan who wanted to give up his basketball career for Haley and Jamie at the start of the season? But I'm glad they were a little bit more flirty and was just having fun away from Jamie. The whole growing old and the house definitely had a notebook feel to it. Im glad Nathan is telling Haley to go on tour but he should offer to give up basketball as well. Haley's right, you can't have a marriage, let alone a child with both parents gone all the time and traveling. It'd be nice if this was in the summer and Jamie had school but a life on the road isn't what Jamie needs 24/7. But I am glad that they are going to approach it a lot better than they did the last time. Also, I loved the phone sex line and the possibility of having more children. But then again if Naley are separated all the time, how are they going to have more children and raise them properly esp with the one they already have. I just wished we would've seen a little bit more of Naley going at it ! LoL

K enough talk, here's the next chapter, enjoy and please review!!

. . . .

Haley's eyes fluttered open and it was then that she realized a pair of strong arms wrapped around her body. For a second, she thought this was all a dream because nothing in real life could ever feel this good. When her eyes fully opened, she realized that her head wasn't resting on a pillow but instead on someone's chest, someone's' well defined, muscular chest. She cocked her head back and saw Nathan's deep blue eyes staring down at her.

His gaze was so heavy and intense she had to remind herself to breath. She watched as a small smile crept on his face. She melted at the sight and the fact that his hair was a little ruffled made him look even more adorable. It was then that the last night's events came rushing back to her. Nathan threw a party at his house, some sprinklers went off and then all hell broke loose.

Never in her wildest dreams did she think that tape of her and Nathan would play for the whole world to see, but then again the last thing she ever expected was to ever be intimate with Nathan at all. Embarrassment couldn't even begin to describe how she felt at that moment, but shame, she definitely felt that. She wasn't ashamed of being with Nathan, no rather how it was shown and how she handled the situation. She could already hear the whispers and the teasing, the name _tutorslut_ kept replaying over in her head.

"What's wrong?" Nathan frowned once he saw Haley's sudden change of mood. He had woken up about thirty minutes ago and was relieved to find Haley still wrapped around in his arms. He smiled to himself and thought that he could definitely get used to this. He just looked at her, so content and peaceful, a far cry from what took place last night. She was always so animated, fired up. Her spunk and energy matched his own and he had to admit that he loved sparring with her. Besides Lucas, she was the only one who ever really stood up to him and although it irked him to no end, he also found it thrilling, exciting. She always kept him on his toes and every moment with her was something new and exciting.

"Were you thinking about last night?" He asked softly. When she didn't respond, he took the back of his hand and gently rubbed her cheeks. She sighed and cuddled up closer to him and he held her tighter.

"So that wasn't a dream?" She mumbled against his chest.

"Unfortunately, no.." Nathan said as he stroked her hair.

Haley closed her eyes but all she saw was the look of shock, anger and disappointment written all over Lucas' face. He was livid to put it mildly. As soon as Nathan stopped the tape, he decked him and the two got into a brawl. If it wasn't for Haley and Rachel getting into their own scuffle, who knows how long they would have kept going. Lucas grabbed Haley, while Nathan held Rachel back. When they finally let go, Lucas gave one look to Haley and then to Nathan before shaking his head and walking away. Haley tried to go after him but it was no use, by the time she went outside, he was already driving off.

"Look at the bright side.."

"There's a bright side?" Haley mocked.

"Well we don't have to hide anymore .. and I'm pretty sure you gave Rachel a blackeye."

Haley couldn't help but laugh, that was definitely worth it, despite her knuckles being a little sore.

"I'm so glad I don't have to go with her tonight."

"You and I both, I'm sorry for making you take her."

"Don't worry about it, at least now we can go to prom together." Nathan tried not to sound so eager.

"Nathan.. I .. I have to talk to Lucas.." She said as she propped up on her elbows. "We promised each other that we would go .. I have to see if he's still willing." She looked down.

"I .. umm.. I understand I guess.. but look, Hales, I meant what I said to you last night, I .."

"I know." She interrupted him. "I know what you said and I meant what I said also." She said warmly as she ran her finger down his chin. "But I have to talk to him.. he was so mad, I've never seen him like that before."

"Yeah.." Nathan looked away, hurting his brother was something he definitely did not want to do. "I mean .. he always wanted us to get along and be friends." He tried to lighten the situation.

"We were never friends." Haley was quick to point out and Nathan smiled, knowing she was right.

"Maybe I should go with you .. it'll be better if he hear it from both of us."

"No.. it's okay! I'd rather do this alone, knowing Lucas, he might start throwing punches again."

"I'm sure once you tell Lucas everything, he'll be fine."

Haley just gave him a knowing look.

"Okay, maybe not fine, but at least he'll know."

"He'll know that his best friend and brother have been lying to him this whole time."

"We weren't lying to him.. we were just being covert." He said carefully.

"Covert doesn't explain the video tape that played for the whole school last night. God, Nathan I can't believe you kept it!" She shoved his chest. She was so caught up with everything else last night that she completely overlooked the fact that Nathan kept that tape of them together in the living room.

"You said you got rid of it."

"I may have forgotten too." He said, trying to hide his amusement. He loved seeing Haley all fired up and a certain part of his anatomy loved it too.

"Forgotten!?!" Haley exclaimed. "I can't believe I let you talk me into doing that."

"From what I remember, you weren't complaining that night." Nathan smirked but Haley slapped his chest once again.

"That's not what I meant! Why would you even keep the tape?! You don't like use the tape?" Haley pointed her finger at him, but Nathan couldn't hide his smile.

"Ahh! I can't believe you."

"What? The big screen is downstairs and plus it has the surround sound.. trust me Hales.. the camera loves you." He winked, but her anger at him only grew. "I only wished I had an HD camera.."

"You son of a.." Haley tried to make another move to hit him but Nathan grabbed her hand and when she tried to use her other hand, he stopped it too. He smirked to himself as he pinned her down against his bed.

"You think you're so funny." Haley said while trying to wiggle her way out, but it was a losing battle. Nathan simply overpowered her and with his firm body pressed up against her, she was wondering why she was even fighting it.

"I'm sorry about the tape." He said sincerely. "I didn't think that it would turn out this." He slowly loosened his grip on her and rested his forehead against hers.

_Damn him and his sexy pout and blue eyes!! _Haley thought to herself.

"I know.." She said softly, her lips mere inches from his.

"Next time, I'll be more careful." He smirked.

"Next time!!" Haley grew angry again but Nathan silenced her with a kiss and with that she forgot why she was at him in the first place. One minute she wanted to kill Nathan, the next she couldn't get enough of him, it was a vicious cycle that never seemed to end. . . . .

"Coming!!" Nathan yelled. He quickly scurried around for some clothes and hastily threw on a pair of boxers and dark sweat pants. He didn't even have time to dry himself from his shower. He ran his hand through his slick hair as he descended the stairs and went to open the front door.

"Rachel?" Nathan looked at her curiously.

Rachel licked her lips. She was definitely not expecting to see Nathan half naked until later tonight but she was not going to complain by any means.

"Natey!" She said in an over joyful voice.

"What do you want?" Nathan cringed at her squealing.

"I just wanted to make sure you're okay." She said as she tried to reach out and touch him but he quickly stepped back.

"I'm fine." Nathan stated. "You on the other hand, might want to put some ice on that." Nathan pointed to her black eye."

"Oh this?" She laughed nervously. "Don't worry, a little blush and eyeliner and we'll be good for tonight."

"We?" Nathan questioned. "I'm sorry Rachel but.."

"But what?!" She raised her voice.

"I'm not going to go to the prom." He said, "... at least not with you."

She looked at him with her mouth open in shock.

"I'm sorry." He muttered, though he really wasn't. He never wanted to go with her in the first place.

"So you're going to go with that _slut_?"

"Hello, kettle.. and by the way her name is Haley, and she is not a slut."

"That's a joke if I ever heard one." Rachel scoffed. "I can't believe you're going to go with that bitch over me!"

This time Nathan couldn't hold back his anger, no one called Haley that, well except for him.

"Not like it's any of your business but no I am not going with her.. I'm going by myself, which is a whole lot better than going with you."

"Natey.." She tried to sound more calm, knowing she was loosing him. She definitely wanted to go with him tonight.

"And if I ever hear you call me Natey again, I'll be more than happy to let Haley give you another black eye.. in fact don't talk to me ever again.." Nathan said annoyed.

"But Nathan.."

"And just to make the record clear, I never wanted to go with you tonight! Goodbye!" Nathan shut the door in front of Rachel's face.

Rachel stood there for a moment, not sure if that really just happened. Her anger only grew, she was going to make Haley pay for this.

. . . . .

Lucas sat on his desk, typing away on his laptop, trying his absolute best to forget what happened during the last twenty four hours. Normally, he would go to the River Court and shoot around. Basketball has always been a great distraction for him and a good way to clear his mind but the chance of running into people and talking about what happened was something he really didn't want to do. Instead, he opted for his second passion, writing. Currently, he was writing a short story of lies, mistrust, and betrayal.

He heard a knock on his door but choose to ignore it. Whoever it was can knock on the front door, where he wouldn't be able to hear it. When the person knocked again, he reluctantly got up and opened the door.

When he opened it, he saw his ex half-brother standing before him. Lucas gave him one look over then slammed the door in his face. Nathan sighed, he had expected this. After Haley left, he quickly showered but was interrupted by a certain red head who didn't get the hint. Haley said that she wanted to talk to Lucas first and at first he agreed but he decided to talk to his brother first.

Reaching for the knob, Nathan was relieved to find it unlocked. He knew he'd risk getting into another fight and beating the crap out of Lucas. He smirked to himself, Lucas may have gotten the first hit last night but that was a free shot, the next one he won't be so lucky. He was just hoping that Lucas would at least hear him out before trying to snuff him again.

Lucas was walking back to his desk when he heard the door open. He cursed to himself when he realized that he left the door unlocked.

"You have some nerve." Lucas glared as he turned around.

"Look, I know you're mad." Nathan threw his hands up. Lucas only glared harder. "Okay, you're furious.. I get that."

"You must think this is some big joke."

"Luke, I'm not laughing."

Lucas laughed in mockery. "Yeah, well you probably had a good old laugh at my expense.. here I was the whole time thinking that you changed .. that you weren't the ass I thought you were."

"Luke, would you please let me explain."

"Fine you want to talk about this, let's talk." Lucas crossed his arms. "Are you fucking her?" He asked bluntly.

"Luke.."

"No you want to talk.. then answer the question… have you been sleeping with her? Or was that tape the only time." Lucas continued to give Nathan a cold glare.

Nathan tried to find the right words to say, not wanting to throw gas in the fire but no words came out.

Lucas huffed. "Yeah.. I thought so."

"Lucas, it's not like that.. I umm.. I care for her."

"Care for her? You've been screwing her behind my back .. screwing lord knows who else too." Lucas threw his hands up and paced back and forth.

"This whole time.. you've been lying to me.. both of you.. and you!!" He pointed to Nathan, "you turned her against me.."

"We didn't tell you cuz we'd known you freak out and apparently we were right."

"Oh, wow you guys are such saints .. what gets me is that you two act like you hate each other but behind closed doors you can't get your hands off each other! Why the lying and the act.. I mean were you trying to play me out .. I guess it worked, all the hazing you did last year when I first joined got tired so this is your new tactic.. go after my bestfriend.."

"Lucas look, yes we were sort of together but it wasn't an act .. it's just.. it's.."

"It's what huh!?"

"It's complicated." Nathan said carefully.

Lucas shook his head. "Whatever, I don't want to hear your bullshit reason.. but whatever this thing is .. it's stopping right now… I don't need someone like you poisoning her more than you already have."

"What is that supposed to mean?!?"

"You forced her to sleep with you, then get her to lie about it .. you probably just left her cold and dry.. moving on to the next girl while keeping Haley on the side, no wonder you two never got along.. it's all becoming crystal clear."

"Dammit Luke!!" Nathan yelled, his own anger bubbling to the surface. "I told you.. it wasn't like that…" Nathan tried to calm down, he knew Lucas had every right to be mad and upset. It was their fault, they should've said something sooner.

"It isn't what? I had to see my so called brother and so called best friend on the screen going at it for the whole world to see.. that you guys have been fucking and lying behind my back.. don't give this crap about trying to spare my feelings or that you care for her .. like everything else about you.. it's just a bunch of crap and you are still that asshole that challenged me to that game at the River court and like that time, I'm not going to let you win either!"

"Fuck Luke, would you just hear me out!" Nathan exclaimed in frustration and anger.

"I don't need any more of your lies…I don't care what you have to say.. you .. you stay away from me and you better stay away from her too.."

"I can't.."

"Like hell you are !" Lucas shot back. "I told you this thing you guys got .. it ends now!"

"NO! I can't do that." Nathan clenched his fist.

"Why huh?" Lucas mocked.

"Because I love her!" Nathan practically yelled and both of them stood there shocked. Nathan wasn't planning on saying that but it just came out.

"I'm in love with her Luke.." Nathan said softly as he looked down.

"Haley?" Lucas questioned.

"Of course, Haley who else?" Nathan raised his head back up. He saw Lucas just standing there, his eyes clearly at something else. He followed his gaze and turned slightly.

"You.. you love me?" Haley's voice trembled from the doorway as she looked over to Nathan.

Both brothers took a deep breath, they certainly weren't expecting this.

To Be Continued . . .


	3. Chapter 3

Behind The Scenes

Chapter 3

Like I said last chapter, WOW! I am completely blown away with all the feedback and support. Thank you guys so much!! I was going to write the next chapter of Winners and Losers but I found inspiration with this story so I'm going to go with it. I'm hoping that after I write this I can get the next chapter out in Winners and Losers. As I said before, I had a bunch of one shot type stories bouncing around in my head so this chapter shows one of that. The scene in this chapter came about while I was in NYC during the Halloween but never had the time to write it down. This story will follow a similar storyline as that of Winners and Losers, in that there will be a backstory plot as well as the current plot. The similarities will be evident but in general the stories will be different. Italics are flashbacks, regular text is present. This chapter also ended up a lot longer and had a lot more stuff in it than originally planned, but I'm hoping you all will like it. With that said, here's the next chapter. Enjoy and please review.

BTW, I just rewatched Jamie's "Gossip Girl comment," I had to admit, it was pretty damn funny. LoL

. . . . .

"_So tutorgirl, have you picked out an outfit?" _

"_For the last time Brooke, it's Haley." Haley corrected._

"_I know but tutorgirl is so much more fun." Brooke said in her usual upbeat voice. _

"_Right.." Haley deadpanned. _

"_Why don't you call her for what she is.." Nathan said as he rounded the group and sat down next to his brother. "An anal bi.." _

_Lucas quickly turned to his brother. "Don't you dare finish that sentence!" Lucas pointed at him. _

_Nathan put his hand up in defeat. "Fine.. fine." He muttered._

"_Well speaking of asses, look who it is." Haley was quick to quip. She wasn't going to give the satisfaction of having Nathan Scott have the last word. _

"_And what a fine ass it is." Nathan laughed as he raised his rear from the bench and gave himself a quick slap. Haley rolled her eyes, never wanting to admit that he did have a a nice butt, though she would never admit it to him. Even jerks can still be good looking. _

"_Yeah, I'm sure your boyfriend Tim would agree since he sticks his nose up there whenever the chance." Haley fired back. _

_Lucas shook his head, here we go again._

"_Cute." Nathan replied, "Though those girls sitting over there didn't mind." Nathan smirked. Haley quickly looked over to see a bunch of mindless Sophomores giggling profusely. "Don't worry Hales, I'm sure one of these days, you'll catch the attention of a nice blind man."_

_Haley gritted her teeth. She didn't need to be reminded that she was a senior, about to celebrate her 18__th__ birthday, single. _

"_Play nice!" Peyton interrupted. The two of them going at it was enough to make her lose her lunch._

"_Yeah, quit it you two. I swear, you guys should just totally get in all already." Brooke commented. _

_Nathan, Haley as well as Lucas almost choked on their drinks. _

"_Eww." Haley spoke up first. _

"_Yeah, seriously, that's my best friend and my brother you're talking about."_

"_Yeah, Brooke, what the hell?" Nathan responded._

_Brooke rolled her eyes and waved her hands. _

"_Anywhooo .. like I was saying," Brooke turned to Haley, the two of them obviously oblivious to one another. "Do you have your outfit?" _

"_No, I don't." _

_Brooke gasped. "Haley, the birthday girl can not show up to her own party with out a costume."_

_Haley shook her head, she really did hate being a Scorpia sometimes, since it meant that her birthday was always around Halloween. _

"_She could just show up in her birthday suit." Nathan said nonchalantly, as he took another bite from his sandwich. Haley might've been a pain, but she certainly did have a rack, Nathan reasoned with himself. Bitches can be hot too, though he'd never admit it to her. _

_Haley glared at Nathan for a moment before turning her attention to Brooke. "Do I have to have a costume?"_

"_Hey, if I have to do it, you too." Peyton chimed in. "It's bad enough she wants us to match as Angel and Devil."_

"_Correction, sexy Angel and Devil." Brooke grinned. "Don't worry, we'll get you a costume after school."_

_Haley shook her head, there was no use in trying to argue with Brooke, especially if it meant a shopping trip. "Fine.." Haley mumbled much to Brooke's amusement. _

"_How about you Broody? What're you going as?"_

"_Umm.. I got some ideas."_

"_Really? Care to share?"_

"_Nope." Lucas smiled and turned to Nathan. "Which reminds me, we got to pick it up today."_

"_Yeah, we'll take my car." Nathan nodded. _

_As much as Haley hated Nathan, she was glad to see the two brothers a lot closer. Who would've thought that after all the drama that happened last year that they would end up sitting at lunch together, going to pick up costumes. They certainly have come a long way. _

_Although Lucas and Nathan played it cool on the outside, Haley knew, that at least for Lucas that his relationship with Nathan meant a lot more than others though. Growing up, he had his mom and his Uncle Keith but the hole left behind by an absentee father was bigger than anyone would've guessed but Nathan had seemed to fill in that gap. Sure, Haley was his best friend and he was pretty close to the guys with the River Court but he never had another guy he could turn to, that was until Nathan came along. It might've taken sometime and a lot of yelling from Whitey but after being left out on the road 30 miles from Tree Hill after one of their scuffles, they had no choice but to work together and several months later and spending the summer together during basketball camp, here they were. _

"_Fine, Lucas doesn't want to share. How about you Nate?"_

"_Well I'm going as the only the greatest superhero ever."_

"_Wolverine?" Peyton asked._

"_Not that loser, Batman." Nathan said triumphantly. _

"_Boring." Brooke spoke out._

"_You sure you and Tim don't want to go as the Ambiguously Gay-Duo?" Haley smirked. _

_Nathan sighed. "Haley, if you want to check me out in tights, all you got to do is just ask." Nathan smirked back. _

_Just then the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. _

"_Thank God." Lucas spoke as he stood up. "You two babies are giving me a headache." Lucas joked. _

_. . . . ._

"_Dude, I thought you said you had something picked out."_

"_I said, I had ideas." Lucas replied from the dressing room. He came out wearing an Elvis costume._

"_Apparently full of bad ones." Nathan replied. _

_Lucas rolled his eyes. "Then quit complaining and help me out."_

_Nathan spotted a ridiculously multicolored wig and a red-button nose and threw it over to Lucas. "Here, why don't you try that next?" Nathan laughed._

"_Funny, but there's no way I'd be caught wearing this clown get up."_

"_As opposed to the Elvis clown get up you have on now." Nathan was quick to point out._

"_Ha-ha." Lucas mocked. "Very funny, no I can't do that to Haley."_

"_Do what?"_

"_Clowns.. she's totally freaked by them."_

"_Really, she's afraid of clowns." Nathan tried to hold back his laughter. _

"_Chill, it's not funny. I think her parents took her to the circus when she was younger and she got scarred for life. One year Skills came dressed as Bozo the Clown from In Living Color and she totally flipped, she didn't talk to Skills for a month."_

"_Haha.. I'll keep that in mind." Nathan's eyes narrowed as he saw a Batman mask on the rack. Lucas went back inside the dressing room to try out another costume. Nathan was about to pick the mask up, when he noticed another costume right next to it. Nathan smirked to himself, that might do. _

_. . . . _

"_Haley, get your sweet ass out here." Peyton called out. _

"_Yeah, tutorgirl, we don't want to be late." Brooke called out._

_A moment later, the door opened and Haley stepped out in full costume. _

"_Aww Hales, you look adorable."_

"_Yes, very nice." Brooke winked at her, "But I think you would've looked better in that sexy nurses outfit.. or going as Sandy from Grease." _

"_Shut up Brooke, I think Haley looks great."_

"_Thanks, Peyton." Haley said as she smoothed out her black and yellow striped top. _

"_What, I didn't say you didn't look good, just that we could've sexed it up you know." Brooke winked. "It is your birthday and it's time we find a guy so you can blow out his candles." _

"_BROOKE!" Haley admonished._

"_Yeah, sorry, I guess there would only be one candle." Brooke laughed and Peyton joined her._

"_You guys are horrible!" Haley shook her head, but Brooke was right about one thing. It would be nice to meet someone. Tree Hill wasn't lacking guys, just the good ones, Haley sighed to herself. _

"_Now the finishing touches." Peyton said as she grabbed the head band and placed it on top of Haley's head. "Alright, let's get going Birthday girl."_

_. . . . ._

"_Dammit, Peyton, did you have to make your wings so big?" Brooke spit out another black feather. "Between your wings and Haley's here, I'm surprised we fit in the back."_

"_Cheer up Brooke, we're here." Mouth opened the door for them, dressed as John Trovalta from Saturday Night Fever. _

"_Yeah, let's go." Lucas said as he opened the other door for the them. The five of them arriving at Tric together. _

_A few minutes later, they gathered themselves by the dancefloor._

"_Who you looking for? The sherrif?" Haley teased as she flicked Lucas' cowboy hat. _

"_Very funny Hales." Lucas smiled back and flicked one of her antennas. "I'm actually looking for Nathan, he said he was running late."_

"_Well maybe as a birthday gift to me, he just won't show."_

"_Hales.." _

"_Oh relax Luke, come on let's dance." Haley smiled as she pulled him to the dance floor to join their other friends._

_. . . . _

_Nathan watched from the distance as he saw Lucas and Haley dancing, with Peyton, Mouth, Brooke and Skills nearby. He had to admit that she looked really hot tonight and the sexiest looking bee he ever saw. She had a tight fitting yellow and black striped tube-top, with a yellow ballerina skirt that made you want to just lift it up and peak inside, black stockings and boots, with a pair of small wings and of course a headband with two protruding antennas. She was smiling and wiggling her sweet ass and Nathan thought for a second that she wasn't so bad when she wore tight outfit. He was a guy after all. _

_He watched them for a minute before he saw them heading towards the bar, no doubt about to get a drink. Nathan made his move and went inside the bar from the opposite end. He knelt down and made his way over to them so they wouldn't see him. Haley arrived at the bar first and rested her elbows on the counter. She turned around just in time as Nathan popped right up like a Jack in the Box._

"_BOO!!" Nathan exclaimed and Haley immediately screamed. The rest of the group startled by her. _

"_Happy Birthday Haley." Nathan said in a dark, growling voice that only added to the eeriness of his costume. Everyone stopped to see what was going on, even the DJ who stopped the music. All eyes were on her, as if that already didn't add to her already racing heart. Tears started forming in her eyes and Nathan started feeling like the biggest dick in the planet._

"_You're such an ass!" Haley choked out as she wiped her eyes, ruining her mascara and running away into the crowd, Brooke and Peyton hot on her heels. Lucas signaled the DJ to play music and get the party going again. He yanked his brother from the bar,_

"_What the hell man!?"_

"_What? I thought it'd be funny."_

"_Didn't I not tell you she was afraid of clowns and you come in here dressed as the fucking scariest Joker I've ever seen!" Lucas said angrily. "What the hell Nate.. it's her birthday."_

"_Yeah.. I know." Nathan mumbled, realizing that his little joke may have gone too far. He was dressed in a dark purple suit, a wig that made it seem like his hair was thinning, white make up all over his face, with a bright red lipstick across his mouth which spilled over to his cheeks with the edges of his mouth appearing to have stitch marks. He was every bit the clown, a very scary maniacal one at that. (Think Heath Ledger as Joker)._

_Lucas turned around to see Brooke and Peyton walking back. _

"_Where is she?" He asked._

"_She's outside by the stairs." Peyton said._

"_She told us to go back inside, she says she just needs a minute." Brooke added._

_Lucas turned around to face his brother. "Look what you did!?"_

"_I'm sorry." Nathan shrugged, feeling more like crap than ever. _

"_Maybe you should be telling her instead of me!" Lucas shook his head as he was walking towards the exit. Nathan grabbed his shoulder._

"_You're right.. let me apologize."_

"_You should, but there's no way in hell you're going to see her like that."_

"_Fine.." Nathan mumbled as he took off the wig and Lucas offered his bandana over to him, which Nathan used to wipe off as much of the make up as possible. There was still traces of it left behind but at least he looked human now. _

_. . . . _

_Haley sat at the bottom of the steps, wiping the tears from her eyes. She heard footsteps coming down and immediately knew who it was, at least that's what she thought. _

"_Luke, I'm fine." She said._

"_It's not Luke.." _

_Haley got up and turned around to see Nathan, sans wig and make up, walking down._

"_What're you doing here?" She crossed her arms and took a step back onto the pavement. _

"_Lucas told me you were here down here.."_

"_So you came down here cuz Lucas made you.."_

"_Yes.. wait.. no.. look.. I'm sorry okay."_

_Haley shook her head, her anger becoming more apparent. "I don't need some half ass apology from you just because Lucas made you come down here." Haley shook her head._

"_You obviously found out about my fear of clowns .. so haha … there you go laugh it up.. I hope you're pleased with yourself now."_

"_Look I said I'm sorry." Nathan huffed out._

"_You sorry, that's a joke if I ever heard one. Come on laugh it up.. you know you want to.. haha poor Haley James, scared of clowns .. a complete loser.. nothing more than tutorgirl with her books and good grades.."_

"_Haley.." Nathan tried to interrupt her._

"_Well, it shouldn't be too bad, I mean one day a blind man will notice me, isn't that right Nathan cuz here I am about to graduate high school on my birthday and guess what I'm all alone!! My parents are off on some ungodly road trip, Lucas is too busy trying to figure out which girl he wants between Peyton and Brooke .. and now I'm stuck here with you on my birthday .. I must be really pathetic, isn't that right Nathan!?" _

"_You're.. you're not pathetic." Nathan mumbled out. _

"_Yes.. yes I am." Haley choke back her tears. "God I must look like an idiot too." Haley wiped her eyes as she took stock of her outfit. She was sure Nathan was one step away from making fun of her about it too. She threw her antenna head band to the ground and took off._

_Nathan stood there as he watched her quickly walk away. He picked up the headband from the ground and then looked back on her retreating form. Everything in his head was telling him to go back inside, tell Lucas he did what he could. But a small part of him, a very loud part of him told him otherwise. He was about to head back up the stairs but gripped the headband harder and took off and ran after her. It would be ironic, months later that he would be desperately trying to get away from her. _

. . . .

"You.. you love me?" Haley's voice trembled from the doorway as she looked over to Nathan. Nathan took a big gulp, he certainly wasn't expecting to just blurt all that out and he wasn't expecting Haley to hear it.

Lucas looked at the two of them and couldn't believe what was going on. He was more confused as ever. Nathan looked absolutely scared shit. Was he telling the truth? Did he actually fall in love with Haley, his Haley? Haley, for her part, looked completely shocked but there was a certain gleam in her that Lucas could tell that something more was up. And he had to wonder, did she feel the same?

Lucas couldn't believe this. What kind of Twilight Zone did he wake up to? Just yesterday, Haley was once again complaining about Nathan and vice versa and now Nathan is suddenly in love with her. Nothing in all this was making any sense. When he realized that Nathan wasn't going to talk, Lucas did.

"Can someone tell me what the hell is going on?"

Haley turned to Lucas, having completely forgotten that he was in the room. She was too stunned by Nathan's revelation to notice anything else.

"Wait, Luke.." She held her hand up and then faced Nathan. Her eyes were big and brown and were begging him to explain what was going on. "Nathan.."

Nathan took a step back and moved closer to Lucas. "Umm.. sorry Hales.. Lucas here was going to punch me again."

"Huh?" Both Lucas and Haley muttered.

Nathan knew it was a punk move but at the moment he was panicking and didn't know what else to do.

"Nathan.." Lucas turned to his brother.

"Yeah.. now where were we?" Nathan said as he put his fists up.

"Nathan, what're you doing? I'm not going to fight you."

"Oh now you don't want to hit me." Nathan said sarcastically. "Fine, I'll just leave you two." Nathan went for the door but Haley blocked him with that _Oh no you don't_ face.

"Nathan.." She said once more.

"I'm sorry, I know you wanted to talk Lucas first.." Nathan mumbled, figuring feigning amnesia over saying the L word would be the best course of action right now. Haley just gave him a bewildered look, he was obviously avoiding the topic he so happened to bring up.

"I'll.. I'll see you later." Nathan said quickly and just like that he was gone.

Haley shook her head, her world turned around once more. She turned back and saw Lucas staring at her. She knew he deserved some answers, even though she wanted some from Nathan right now.

"Haley, what the hell is going on?" Lucas asked once more.

Haley took a deep breath and sat on Lucas' bed, trying to sort her thoughts. She had every intention of coming here and talking about her past with Nathan but Nathan's admission of love had thrown her for a loop.

Lucas saw the battle that raged across her face and he had to ask.

"Do.. do you love him?" Lucas asked.

Haley looked up, trying to form the words. "I .. umm.. I.." She started to hyperventilate. Lucas sat down next to her and padded her back.

"Jesus Hales, relax." Lucas said trying to soothe her. It was clear that his whole love thing was affecting her so he decided to go back to his earlier question. He put his hand under her chin and forced her to look at him.

"Hales, can you please tell me what's going on and why my brother is suddenly proclaiming his love for you?" Lucas tried to lighten up the mood. He found it ironic that only a few minutes ago he wanted to rip both Nathan and Haley's heads off but now here he was soothing Haley after she had been lying to him all this time.

Haley took a deep breath and with a shaky voice. "Do .. do you remember my birthday.. this past Halloween?"

To Be Continued . . . .

Please review :)


	4. Chapter 4

Behind The Scenes

Chapter 4

** Note 3/29/09 : I didn't put in a new chapter, I just accidently added one. I just wanted to correct a minor typo I found. Sorry for the confusion **

Again I am blown away with all the feedback. I am so glad you are enjoying the story. Yes, Nathan bolting out like that may not have been the best thing for him to do but he's freaking out just as much as Haley is. Nathan scaring Haley was mean but at the same time it does bring them closer, as you'll see. This chapter sort of took a life of it's own once I started writing it and I had every intention of adding in a "present" seen but this is all flashback, picking up from the last flashback. Also I'm sorry for not updating W&L, but now that this chapter is finished, I can focus back on that story.

I just had some few comments about last week's episode. I felt like they ended things kind of fast, the whole movie and then the dog eating Dan's heart, which was hilarious but at the same time, really like WTF. I felt for Dan in this episode even though he doesn't deserve it. We didn't get much Nathan but I liked the scenes he was in. I can see the struggle on his face once he realized that his dad was really going to die. I understand Lucas being okay with it but Dan did raise Nathan, good or bad he's still his father. I hope that Dan doesn't die and Nathan doesn't have to forgive Dan or let him back in his life but he can show some compassion, something Dan never showed Keith. Glad Deb broke it off. Jack and Sam? I'm over them, let's move on, enough with these secondary characters. I'm glad Haley stuck with her guns and I'm still scratching my head over Brulian. I mean why did he tell her I love you so fast, it makes me think that maybe he gets too clingy in relationships .. I mean their not Naley lol. Anyways, love the Scott brother scenes, there needs to be more especially if they are supposedly "firing" Chad. Now I'm really worried about season 7 because I can take Leyton leaving since we still have our Naley. But if Chad leaves on bad terms then that would totally suck for him to return for a small part in season 7. Anyways, I am not interested in any of the secondary characters. They deserve their two minutes and that's it. But I'm going to just keep the faith.

On one more side note, any Battlestar fans? I though the whole "opera" thing was over played so much and a big disappointment but overall I thought it was a fitting way to end the show and make it relevant to us. Laura dying was so sad. I knew it was coming yet I was hoping for some sort of miracle to happen again and then with Lee and Starbuck. There's was really a relationship where they never had their timing, almost tragic that they couldn't be together. Although, it was nice to see Starbuck acting like a wife to Uncle Cooper. Regardless, it was very bitter sweet and I think the only ones who had a really happy ending was Athena and Hilo and Caprica and Gaius. I'm going to miss BSG.

On that note, enjoy and please review!!

. . . .

"Haley!" She heard her name being called out but she ignored it. Instead, she just walked faster, practically running at this point to just get home and crawl inside her bed. She just wanted this day to be over, not like tomorrow would be any better.

"Haley!!" She heard Nathan's voice again and she quickened her pace and wiped the tears from her eyes. She knew he was gaining and it was a matter of time before he caught up with her. She didn't want him to see her like this, so weak and vulnerable.

She had to admit that she was having a good time, hanging out with her friends, dancing, laughing, enjoying each other's costumes, that is until the scary ass Joker scared the shit out of her. It was then that all the reasons why she didn't want to celebrate her birthday came crashing down on her. As the song goes, it is her party and she'll cry if she wanted to.

"Jesus, Haley would you slow down." Nathan came in panting as he jumped in front of her. Haley stopped walking and glared at Nathan for a second before stepping to the side to continue walking. But Nathan matched her moves and stopped her.

"Would you get out of my way?" She huffed. Nathan could still see her puffy and red eyes and felt even guiltier by the second.

"No!" He said defiantly.

"You're such an ass!" Haley threw back and quickly walked away from him before he had any time to react.

"Would you stop?" Nathan called out as he reached for her arm but she just yanked it back as she continued walking. Nathan sighed in frustration as he jumped in front of her again, this time grabbing her shoulders and forcing her to stop.

"Finally!" He rolled his eyes as pulled his hands back. "How the hell did you get so far in those things?" Nathan glanced down at her black high healed boots, where at the same time he got to admire her 'oh so nice' legs which were currently wrapped up in black stockings.

Haley's mouth dropped as she watched Nathan drool at her legs. The nerve of him, she thought. She shouldn't be surprised though, considering what a pig Nathan was.

"Hey buddy!" Haley snapped her fingers. "Eyes up here."

Nathan's eyes, just did just that as it roamed up past her ruffled skirt, which he wouldn't mind lifting, up her tight fitting yellow and black shirt, and then finally stopping when he reached her breasts. He knew that Haley was packing some heat up there but for some reason her tits seemed to have gotten bigger. It was times like these that Nathan thanked the man upstairs for giving him the height to not only dunk a basketball but to also have front row seats into Haley's cleavage.

Haley grew even angrier when she realized what Nathan was looking at. "Up here!" She stated as she crossed her arms. Nathan didn't even bother to hide the disappointment when she covered herself up. Haley had to admit that she felt at least a little better knowing that someone out there noticed her outfit, even if it was Nathan Scott.

Nathan now turned to face Haley and he could tell she was pissed. He felt a little relieved. He'd much rather see this Haley than the crying upset one he'd just seen now.

"Oh, there you are." Nathan smirked once he looked her in the eye.

"God, you are such a pig." Haley huffed as she tried to walk away.

"Oh not so fast!" Nathan was quick to block her path. He wasn't going to let her go this time.

"What do you want huh? You want to ruin my night even more?" Haley shook her head and Nathan's smirk disappeared.

"Look, I said I'm sorry."

"Yeah, I bet you are." Haley said as she fought to keep her tears in check.

Nathan studied her for a moment, not really liking seeing Haley upset, especially since he was the cause or was he? Where was her witty comeback or sarcastic remark?

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Nathan came out saying, although he didn't really mean to sound so harsh.

"Wrong with me!?" Haley stuttered for a moment. She couldn't believe the nerve of him. "You scare me half to death and embarrass me in front of the whole world and you have the nerve … the NERVE to ask me what's wrong with me… take a good look in the mirror mister and you'll find your answer!" Haley exclaimed and moved passed him and kept walking.

"I don't believe you." He followed her, this time walking at the same pace as her.

"I'm ignoring you." Haley huffed like a four year old. If Nathan wanted to act like a child, she could do the same as well.

"What's got you so bothered huh?" Nathan asked but Haley continued walking. "You know I'm not going anywhere." Nathan said a moment later once he realized Haley wasn't going to budge.

"Why do you care?" Haley stopped and she took in where she was. Her house wasn't that far away but it was still far enough. Truth be told, all the walking was getting her tired and the park bench in front of her looked like a good place to take a breather. She didn't know how long she could keep up this pace, especially with Nathan with her. He was after all the athlete among them.

"I never said I did." Nathan was quick to say.

"Whatever." She shook her head, she would never understand the inner workings of Nathan Scott.

"It's just that this isn't you." He said.

"This isn't me?" Haley said in a mocking tone. "Like you even know me." She said.

"I know you well enough to know that this isn't you." He said in the same smug tone.

Haley was about to say another smart remark but decided against it. "K, fine, this should be interesting… who am I exactly supposed to be then?"

"Well not this cry baby I see in front of me."

"Why you son of a. " Haley was about to slap him but Nathan's strong hands stopped her.

"There.. that's you.. the girl who calls me out when I'm being an ass."

"Well you are an ass." She yanked her arm back.

"And I get to call you out when your being a prissy little bitch, so now what the hell has got you so worked up anyway?"

"Great, you're trying to be my friend. Could this night get any worse?"

"I'm trying to make things right cuz Lucas will kill me for ruining your birthday."

"So you're doing this for Lucas?"

"…"

"Hmm.. well I knew you two were getting along.. I didn't know you cared that much about him."

"Yeah, well don't go around telling people. It's just that he's.." Nathan stopped himself before he spoke further. He wasn't into this whole emo thing and he didn't know how he could let his guard down like that.

"He's what?" Haley said as she took a seat on the bench.

"Nothing." He quickly spat out.

"Well if you want me to spill, you have to first, I mean since you ruined my birthday and all." Haley said as she crossed her legs and Nathan almost forgot to breath when got a glimpse of her oh so gorgeous thighs. Flashbacks of Sharon Stones in Basic Instincts came crashing through his mind. What he wouldn't do at that moment to get on his knees and spread those legs apart. Nathan shook his head. He really did need to get laid.

"So I did ruin your birthday?" Nathan smirked.

"I didn't say that but spill, what about Lucas.. I remember not too long ago that you wanted to kill him as much as I want to kill you."

Nathan felt a little better, somehow Haley insulting him seemed to make things normal in this already weird night.

"He.. he gets me." He muttered as he took a seat next to her, although he was careful to keep a safe distance in case she was going to try and slap him again.

"He gets you?"

"It's a guy thing okay.. he's a baller like me and he's a good guy .. I was actually jealous of him."

"Nathan Scott jealous?" Haley teased.

"Yeah whatever." He narrowed his eyes and Haley decided to hold back, it was a rare occasion to see Nathan Scott not being an ass.

"Look, he didn't grow up with my dad.. I did.. and it just sucks sometimes .. if you thought I was an ass then meet my father."

Haley nodded, no arguments there.

"Anyways, in turns out that Lucas was jealous of me cuz I seemed to have it all." Nathan continued and Haley nodded. She knew Lucas was jealous of Nathan, that Dan didn't abandon him and that he got to have the big house and the fancy cars. "Once we realized all this over basketball camp, we had a good laugh about it and now here we are .. he's the only other person that doesn't take my crap .. I respect that."

"And who's the other person?" Haley found herself asking.

"You." He said all too quickly and he hesitated a moment. He was afraid he already said way too much tonight.

"Me?"

"Yeah.. like I said, you call me out on my shit and don't back down like most people .. which is why I know that there is something else bothering you .. pulling that prank on you should've just got you mad not so upset.. so unless you really are terrified of clowns, there's something else, so now tell me." Nathan said, wanting to turn the tables back on her. He didn't know how he got to be under the spot light.

Haley sighed, as she uncrossed her legs, much to Nathan's dismay, although he got to catch some looks.

"For the record, I am scared of clowns." She smacked his arm. "Second, I just .. I just hate my birthday."

"Why? I mean you're turning 18 not 30."

"Well for starters, I never wanted this party but Lucas and everyone else thought it would be so much fun." She said sarcastically. "I mean what's wrong with a nice quiet dinner."

Nathan couldn't help but form a small smile, something about doing things simple was so.. Haley.

"And it's another reminder of how I've done nothing since the last miserable birthday and how you so eloquently put it last week.. how much of a loser I am."

"Well, you are a loser." Nathan grinned and was happy to see Haley glare but at him but with a playful look. "But self pity doesn't suit you so what gives?"

Haley tried to form the words but was too embarrassed to say it.

Realizing that she wasn't going to talk, Nathan did for her.

"And I don't know what you're talking about, not doing anything.. you've done a lot."

"Please, like what?"

"Well you're the biggest nerd in school."

"Oh yay, I'm a nerd." Haley rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, the nerd who'll probably be valedictorian this year."

"Yes, of course I am tutorgirl after all." Haley sighed to herself, afterall that's all she was.

"So?" Nathan questioned. "You tutored half the basketball team, if it wasn't for you, we'd probably have no chance at states this year, shoot with the way my grades are going, you might have to tutor me." Nathan teased.

"Oh God no." Haley laughed and Nathan smiled back. For some reason, he found her smile infectious.

"See you have done something over the past year.. I mean you're a good person,.. to everyone but me of course." Nathan was quick to add the last part.

"Of course." Haley nodded.

"Plus you're looking pretty hot in that costume." Nathan found himself saying.

"Stop, now I know your pulling my leg." Haley said slightly blushing.

_I'm more concerned with what's between them_, he found himself saying to himself but shook his head to get out of his daydream. Seeing the blush form across her face though was something else. She wasn't hot. She was beautiful.

"Geez, James can't take a compliment." Nathan said coming back down to earth.

"You're leering at me and I'm supposed to take that as a compliment?"

"Coming from me? Well yeah." Nathan said cockily.

"I don't think this bench is big enough for me, you and your ego."

"Well, that's not the only thing about me that's big." Nathan wiggled his eyes.

"Right." Haley said as she blushed some more.

"Well, you're more than welcome to find out."

"Not a chance."

"Right." He said back to her in the same sarcastic voice she used.

"But thank you though." Haley muttered. "Brooke wanted me in some get up that barely covered me."

"Remind me to kill Brooke." Nathan said seriously but Haley busted out laughing and so did he.

. . . . .

"Are they coming back?" Peyton asked.

"I don't know, neither of them are picking up their cell." Lucas said. "They've been gone for a while now and I went outside, they weren't there."

"Oh that sucks." Peyton replied. "I mean it's almost midnight and Haley's birthday."

"I know." Lucas said as he looked back on his phone to see if he had a missed call or a text. "What the hell could do they be doing?" Lucas asked himself. He just hoped his brother wasn't doing anything stupid.

"Oh relax Luke, they're probably busy with each other." Brooke rolled her eyes as she took a sip of her drink.

"Huh?" Lucas asked.

"You asked what they're doing, I bet you they're doing each other."

"Haha." Peyton came out laughing.

"Gross." Lucas said, frowning his face in disgust.

"What?" Brooke said. "Am I the only one who sees it?"

"See what?" Lucas asked.

"They totally got the hots for each other." Brooke said matter of factly.

"Nathan and Haley?" Peyton spoke up.

"Who else?" Brooke replied.

Lucas laughed. "Look, I know it took a miracle for me and Nathan to get a long, I doubt the same thing will happen to those two."

"I don't know." Brooke said. "Their like kids in first grade, always arguing with each other, it's all that sexual frustration."

"First graders have sexual frustrations?" Peyton raised her eyebrows.

"Oh you know what I mean?" Brooke waved her hands.

Lucas laughed. "Sorry to burst your bubble there cupid but Haley and Nathan, that'll never happen."

"And why not?" Brooke asked.

"Well Haley really isn't Nathan's type." Peyton said.

"Yeah, he likes them slutty, you should know." Brooke teased her friend, but Peyton just flipped her off.

"Hey!" Brooke frowned.

"And believe me when I say Nathan is not Haley's type." Lucas added.

"Oh how would you know?" Brooke asked. "I've never seen her date."

"Well Haley's my best friend and believe me when I say that nothing is going on between them, sexual or otherwise. They fight like siblings." Lucas stated.

"Ehh.. fine, whatever you say." Brooke took another sip, still not convinced.

. . . .

"I think this is the longest we've ever talked." Nathan said as the two chatted randomly over the last several minutes.

"I don't know if I'd consider us insulting each other back and forth counts as a conversation."

"I said talk, not conversation, get with the program, aren't you supposed to be the smart one here." Nathan teased.

Haley gave him a knowing look, but before she could say anything back, the sound of Nathan's phone vibrating caught their attention. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, noticing several missed calls from Lucas and a bunch of texts. Nathan scrolled through it quickly, chuckling to himself.

"What?" Haley asked.

"Lucas, just checking up."

"Oh my God.. he must be worried sick."

"You got the right." Nathan rolled his eyes as he sent a quick message back to Luke, telling him their both okay and that he was just taking her home. Nathan was about to speak again but his phone vibrated once more. Nathan looked down and gave a small laugh.

"What happened now?" Haley asked.

Nathan held up his phone so that Haley could read it. _"Don't be an ass, make sure she gets home safe and have her call me."_

"I didn't know Lucas kept you on such a short leash." Nathan laughed again as he put his phone away.

"I am not on anyone's leash." Haley huffed out.

"Right.. that's why he got you whipped."

"Says the guy who's afraid of Lucas killing him for ruining my birthday." She teased back.

He had to give it up for her spunk. "Well, he's my brother, what's your excuse?"

"He's just a little protective that's all… I love him but he's sometimes too much."

"I always knew there was something going on between the two of you." Nathan said slightly annoyed for some reason. "It must kill you to see him hanging out with Brooke and Peyton."

"What? Oh eww.. Lucas and I are friends.. strictly that."

"Really? You guys haven't _benefited_?" Nathan said curiously. He figured that at least something happened between the two of them. Lucas is after all a guy or maybe Nathan's previous actions of calling Lucas gay might actually have some truth to it.

"Gross .. no Lucas is like that annoying protective big brother.. sometimes too over protective.. I mean he'll bark at any guy who tries to talk to me.. not like there's a guy.." Haley mumbled.

"I hear a little bit of resentment."

"No .. it's nothing.. forget it." Haley said shaking her head.

"What?"

"Nothing, it's getting late, I should get home." She said standing up.

"No what is it?" Nathan asked as he stood up. He could see that battle play across Haley's face.

"You can tell me.. I won't say a thing. Scott's honor." Nathan said holding left hand up and his right hand over his heart."

"You were a boy scout?" Haley asked, the thought of it almost made her want to laugh.

"Scott's honor, not scout's honor.. but yeah I was in boy's scouts."

Haley had to suppress her giggle.

"Okay, see I told you one embarrassing about me .. now go ahead spill, I won't tell anyone."

Haley thought about it for a second.

"Okay, fine.. don't laugh!" She pointed her finger at her.

"Fine." Nathan rolled his eyes.

"The thing is I was hoping to meet a guy tonight."

"What guy?" Nathan's voice rose._ Who the hell is this punk?_

"There's no guy per say.. I just wanted to meet someone you know.. get out there.. I mean.. oh God . .this is going to sound pathetic.. no it is pathetic.. I am pathetic."

"You're rambling again." Nathan raised his eyebrow.

"Yeah.. anyways.. I just thought that when I was a senior and finally 18 that I'd finally meet someone that's all .. I mean who's 18 and never had their first real kiss .. and kissing Lucas Scott during a horrible game of Truth or Dare freshmen year does not count." Haley finally admitted. "I know pathetic right." She put her head down, expecting some witty remark from Nathan but was only met with silence. She looked up and noticed Nathan looking at her intently. She noticed his deep blue eyes darken a bit and it felt like he could see right through her. She turned away, something about those eyes burrowing into her felt _different_.

"You're not pathetic." Nathan said softly as he put his hand under her chin and forced her to look up at him. "You're loud, annoying and a pain in my side.." Nathan smirked and Haley couldn't help but give a small smile. "But you're not pathetic." Nathan said sincerely.

"Yes, I am." She said softly as she fought to push back her tears. "All everyone sees me as just tutorgirl .. plain old boring Haley James."

"Hey.. yes you're smart, but your also very passionate.. caring.. beautiful."

Haley sniffled. She shook her head, not believing anything Nathan just told her. "Thank you for lying to me." She took a step back and Nathan found it a little unnerving that Haley couldn't see the kind of person she really was. "and trying to make me feel better but you and I both know that.." Haley continued to ramble and Nathan did the only thing he could think of, he moved forward, cupping her face and capturing her lips with his. Just then the bells of a nearby church started to toll, indicating that it was midnight. And for Haley, she started to think that this birthday was already turning out to be a lot better than she originally thought it would be.

To Be Continued . . . .

I hope you enjoyed, please review!!!


	5. Chapter 5

Behind The Scenes

Chapter 5

Thank you again for the phenomenal feedback. I apologize for the delay, I was caught up in updating my other story, Winners and Losers. I'm almost done with that story and once that's complete I can devote more time to this one. Now when I wrote the first chapter I sort of had a background but not really. I had a general idea but now its just filling in the blanks. I had some time to think about this story and see where I want to take it, to lead us back to chapter 1. I know you guys want to know what also happens during the present and unfortunately you won't get that in this chapter, but it'll start to explain the whole background story between Nathan and Haley. There's a little reference to last night's show in this chapter.

I thought last night's episode was okay, I expected more, especially from Peyton. I thought that they over-hyped that but under delivered it. Jamie with the school was funny, especially Nathan's reactions to it. I'm glad that Naley are acting like young parents still learning the ropes and how they flip flopped between the two of them. I'm getting tired of Nathan trying to teach snobby players the right thing, I think they should give him something else maybe like him missing his family more and maybe him wanting to leave basketball to be closer to his family. Speaking of ball, what happened to the ravens? I guess seasons over lol. When mouth and milli came on screen, I yelled for them to go away. I'm glad Victoria is back, she is such a good character to hate. Please no more sam and jack and their drama or mouth or millie, I don't need Naley to be side characters to them!!! I hope with Nick Lachey next week that we see a jealous Nathan, oh please let us see a jealous Nathan! No naley kiss last night but it's ok I guess, they were still cute on the couch and talking. How gorgeous was Haley in that dress, if I was Nathan, I wouldn't keep my hands off her!!

Anyways, enough rant enjoy this chapter and please review!!

. . . .

She looked so sad, so vulnerable. The moonlight shone across her face and he was enthralled by her lips. Nathan wasn't used to Haley being so self-deprecating and it didn't sit with him well. He didn't know that the always confident outspoken Haley James was so, well vulnerable. Didn't she know how amazing of a person she was? For that matter, did Nathan? It seemed tonight forced him to rethink of his opinions of her and in the midst of her rambling he did the only thing he could do to shut her up.

He kissed her.

In that darken night it was as if the sun came out illuminating everything and anything around them. What was once black and white came alive in bright vibrant colors. It was much more than a kiss, it was an awakening. Her lips were soft but tender and as soon as his touched hers a jolt of electricity surged right through him. He never felt like this before, doubt he ever will. It surprised him to say the least but he liked it, more than that he was loving it. He deepened the kiss, wanting more, couldn't help but want more. And he swore to God, he swore he heard a slight moan from her. He could kiss her until he couldn't stop and that's exactly what happened. His breath finally left him and he had no choice but to part his lips from hers.

He opened his eyes, his breathing heavy. He watched her slowly open hers, not quite sure what her reaction would be but one thing was for certain. He wanted to kiss her again. Nathan never felt like this before, he never experienced so much in just one kiss. He wanted to kiss her again, oh God he wanted to. He couldn't believe what Haley James, of all people, was doing to him but at the moment he didn't care. All he wanted was to place his lips right back where it belonged, on hers.

He paused for a second, letting her come back down to Earth. No doubt, she was shock by the whole thing but if she was like most girls Nathan had been with, he had no doubt that she was already putty in his hands. He knew Haley was unlike other girls. With most girls, it only took a glance or a smirk for them to drop their skirt, but Haley was different. She wasn't like that and Nathan respected that. So to have him kiss her, well lets just say that this was going to be start a beautiful new relationship, Nathan cockily told himself.

He watched as a dance of confusion played across Haley's delicate features. He wasn't expecting this. In fact, he was expecting a huge ass smile and her leaping into his arms but not this, not confusion. He knew that he and Haley never got along but he thought tonight changed all that or was he reading the signs all wrong? _Oh God_, he started to panic. He had completely misread everything and now he started to curse to himself. Why did he have to be an idiot and kiss her? Great add that to one of many things Haley already dislikes him for. But still he had hope that he was wrong, that she was just in fact coming down to grips from the spectacular kiss he just gave her. Hope lasted about a second longer when she finally spoke.

"You shouldn't have done that." She said, barely above a whisper. Her face still confused, in fact even scared. _Oh fuck_, he scared her, he thought to himself. Of course he did, why wouldn't she? They never got along, in fact he was here right now because they didn't get along. He was the one to ruin her birthday, had her storming off so why the hell did he have to kiss her. More importantly, why did she have to reject him?

_This can not be happening_, he told himself. The great Nathan Scott does not get rejected by girls, no sir it was the other way around. It was as if someone punched him in the gut, then kneed him in the groin and once he was down on his knees in pain, he got stabbed in the back. Yes, that's exactly how it felt right now, being stabbed when you're already down, someone twisting the knife and then rubbing salt all over the wound of his open bleeding flesh. He was being dramatic, he knew it but Nathan Scott was hurting, hurting bad. She rejected him, just now flat out rejected him. This was a first he never wanted to experience. He was surprised she didn't slap him. He wished he did then that would mean that she was mad, not completely mortified and disgusted that he had just kissed her on the dawn of her birthday too. _Fuck fuck fuck!!_ He deserved a slap and a beating and the whole messed up situation started to get him mad. With pain comes anger and Nathan knew exactly how to deal with that.

"_You shouldn't have done that." _The words replayed over his head and he realized that he'd been standing here for an idiot for the past few seconds not doing anything.

There was no way in hell Haley James with her sexy ass costume was going to get one over Nathan Scott. No sir or ma'am. He hoped that she didn't see the flash of disappointment and hurt across his face. Instead, he made the walls higher around his heart. He stood upright and shrugged as if indifferent to the whole situation. _Play it cool Scott_, he told himself. It was just like that time the home opener with the Ferris Falcons his sophomore year. They were a good team and the game was close, with 2.3 seconds left on the clock, he got fouled. He made his first free throw in, one more and the game would be tied. The Ravens would start the season at home with a win but instead, he missed the free throw and the Falcons won. The crowd was pissed, Dan gave him hell and the team looked at him with disgust. He wanted to kill himself, crawl in a hole and die, much like he felt now. But then again he was Nathan Scott and he walked out of the court with his head held high, screw them he thought. At the end of the day it was just him and not a gym full of angry fans, a team of disappointed players or little old Haley James was going to get him down.

"Well, you wouldn't shut up." He said nonchalantly and turned around and took a few steps. Once he realized, she wasn't following, he turned back around, his face expressionless.

"Aren't you coming?" He said it more of a statement and he watched her roll her eyes and she started to angrily walk towards him. He turned back around and started to walk, not wanting to look at how those sexy curves of hers swayed with each step.

. . . . .

They say be careful for what you wish for, for it might just come true. Haley should've thought of that when she blurted out that she secretly craved for her first real kiss and now that it was here, she wasn't quite so sure what to make of it. In fact, she didn't even know how she got here in the first place. One minute, Nathan ruins her birthday and she takes off running only for him to be running after her. And somehow between yelling at him and feeling sorry for herself, she spills her heart out to him and he's actually being really sweet and now, now he's kissing her. And to make it painstakingly worse is that, she likes it. No, she loves it.

It was like a surge of electricity flowed from her lips and throughout her body. It wasn't like a static shock which is annoying and sometimes painful. No this was invigorating, it was as if she was asleep for 18 years and now she was coming to life. This was the best feeling she ever experienced, better than when she kicked Lucas in miniature golf or Kelly Perkins during third grade "mathketball." She couldn't believe that something that felt so good could come from a kiss, especially one from Nathan Scott.

When he deepened the kiss, she swore that she let out a low moan. She never wanted this to end, she could go on like this forever and damn her term paper that was due on Monday. But like all good things, it had to come to an end. Just like that it was over, no more flashes of light in brilliant colors, no, everything was black except for the street lamp above them.

She opened her eyes to find his deep blue ones staring at her intently. The way he was looking at her made her feel uneasy, nervous, excited all at once. This was all new to her, what was she supposed to do or say. She was panicking. She was a hair away from leaping forward and kissing him again but her mind got the best of her. What was she supposed to say or do now? Why did he do it? Was he just using you? Why? What? All these questioning were swirling around her and she was trying her best to make sense of it all before Nathan thought of her as complete idiot.

"You shouldn't have done that." She said barely above a whisper. She wasn't even really thinking when she said it. She was thinking it and her mouth followed suit. There was more she wanted to say. _You shouldn't have done that because now I think I like it ….because I want to do it again .. because I am completely and utterly confused. _

But before she could say anything else, he answered for her.

"Well, you wouldn't shut up." He said nonchalantly and turned around and took a few steps.

Her mouth dropped. She couldn't believe the nerve of him. _He was using me!_ She thought bitterly. She completely misread all the signs, she figured this is what she gets for lack of experience. But still, he had no right to just kiss her so she could just shut up. So now, he felt sorry for her. He pitied her! No way in hell did she need Nathan Scott's pity or anything else from his gorgeous as sin body and perfectly rounded lips.

_Crap,_ Haley cursed to herself. She was mad at Nathan not turned on by him. Her initials conceptions about him had proved right. He wasn't as big of an ass as before, him being friends and brothers with Lucas could attest to that but he's still an ass. Just when she thought he made up for the horrible birthday he caused, well it was sort of her fault as well since she couldn't stop mellowing in her own issues but now he officially ruined it. One minute into her 18th birthday, she already had her first kiss and first diss. _Thank you, Nathan for the wonderful life lessons!_ She thought bitterly.

"Aren't you coming?" The smug bastard called out. _What am I supposed to do follow you now? _Haley looked at him angrily and she stomped towards him.

They both walked in silence with Nathan walking slightly ahead of her. Haley turned the corner while he continued to walk straight. She never bothered to correct him. As far as she was concerned, she was going home and couldn't care less about him.

Nathan kept walking but once he heard her footsteps going in the other direction he turned around and saw that she turned at the corner. He silently cursed to himself that he was walking home and that he actually didn't know where Haley lived.

"Haley!" He called out but she kept walking.

"So now you're ignoring me." He said walking next to her.

"Yes.. why don't you go away, I'm already close to my house."

"I told Lucas, I'd take you home."

"You should've also told him that you wouldn't be such an ass!"

"What the hell is your problem?!" He demanded. She was the one being a big bitch, being all sexy and innocent to find out that she moonlighted in breaking people's hopes and dreams.

"You're my problem!" She turned bitterly to face him. _Mr. Kiss me like you just tied your shoes, as if I were nothing. _

They both glared at each other for a second, the air was thick around them. Both of them were on the verge of just taking the other person and kissing them silly. They were about to when headlights blinded them and it was then they noticed their friends getting out of Peyton's car. Luckily, no one was aware of what was going on between them.

Lucas got out of the car, a lighter in his hands as he lighted up a candle on a small cake he brought. The group got out of the car singing Happy Birthday to Haley.

She put on a fake smile and felt guilty for feeling this way when her friends had done something so incredibly sweet for her.

"Make a wish tutorgirl." Brooke said as they huddled around her. Haley closed her eyes and blew out the candles. She opened them back up to see the smiles on her friends faces and heard a round of applauses from her friends. But she wasn't looking at them, her eyes were searching and it was then that she realized that Nathan had left.

She sighed. _Some wishes don't come true, _she told herself.

. . . . .

"So you're more than welcome to come by for Thanksgiving." Lucas said taking a bite from his sandwich.

"Thanks, it'll be a lot better than going to my grandparents.. I'll try to convince my mom." Nathan replied back and the two continued to chat during lunch.

"Hales!" Lucas called out and raised his hands to get Haley's attention. Haley spotted him but then noticed the kissing bandit himself sitting across from Lucas, looking at her, glaring at her. His gaze was intense, she wasn't quite sure what to make of it but one thing for sure she wasn't going to find out.

She smiled at Lucas and then looked at Nathan and glared at him for a second before continuing walking, opting to eat lunch inside the tutorcenter where she would have peace and quiet, away from Nathan.

"I guess she's eating at the tutor center again." Nathan shrugged as he took a bite of his sandwich.

"You know this thing between the two of you.."

"Thing? There's no thing between us!" Nathan said defensively. There was nothing going on between them, they hadn't even spoken since her birthday last month. Barely any words were exchanged between them, just looks and glares. And wet dreams, yes definitely wet dreams for Nathan Scott and he hated her more for invading his sleep.

"I knew this would happen. This is what you get for being an ass on her birthday."

"I said I'm sorry, what more does the ice queen want?"

"Nate.. please apologize to her again.. try please for me.. I mean at first it was funny and now it's becoming sad, I don't want to feel like I have to split myself up between the two of you … I mean we can't even do something simple like eat lunch together.. God I can't believe I actually miss you two fighting."

"I'm not doing a thing, she wants to be a baby then fine."

"Baby? Says the guy who wouldn't sit next to her last weekend when we went to the movies, instead yelling at Tim from across the theatre to switch seats."

"What? He had a better view."

"Whatever dude." Lucas laughed.

"Look, whatever you did.. fix it."

"I didn't do anything!" Nathan defended himself.

"_Right_." Lucas said sarcastically as he got up and gathered his things. "Do the right thing Nate." He called out.

. . . .

"We need to talk." Nathan said as he entered the Tutor center. He was thankful that people were at lunch and the place was empty.

Haley glanced up and then back down to the book she was reading, taking another bite of the apple in her hands.

"You can't keep ignoring me." He said.

"Watch me." She stated, taking another bite.

"You know Lucas is getting on my case thanks to you."

Haley sighed, Lucas was also getting on her case too.

"Okay fine.. so let's hear it."

"Hear what?"

"You're apology."

"My apology… umm no.. I already apologized for that whole clown thing on your birthday."

"You really are dense."

"Says you.. I'm waiting for you to apologize to me."

"Haha.. that's the funniest thing I've heard, why should I apologize to you?"

"Why should I?"

"You know what you did."

"No, actually I don't."

"…"

"Well?"

"You really are clueless." Haley got up and threw her lunch at a nearby trashcan. She was no longer hungry.

"You just don't go around kissing people like you did!" She exclaimed, her anger and annoyance getting the best of her.

"What?!" Nathan grew furious. "I was doing you a favor!"

"Favor?!" Haley grew angrier. "I didn't need some pity kiss from you!"

"Yeah, well you were practically begging for it.. _oh I've never been kissed_ .. God you should be thanking me." Nathan fired back.

"Thanking you? Please."

"I mean I did give you the best kiss you ever had." He smirked.

Haley narrowed her eyes and glared at him, pissed off that he was so cocky and even more pissed that he was right but she would never admit this to him. Well technically he was the only one she ever kissed so that automatically makes him the best kiss. _Ahh_, this whole thing was giving her a headache.

"Whatever, I think my dare kiss from Lucas was better… seriously dude ever heard of chap stick." Haley retorted. She had to keep in control, no way was she going to let Nathan Scott pull a fast one on her.

Nathan only grew angrier and he stepped closer to Haley.

"Says the girl who was moaning!"

_Crap, he did hear that_. "Not only are you an idiot but you're hearing things as well." Haley stumbled out, not really liking having Nathan so close to her. He was definitely making her, _nervous_.

"In fact I think you enjoyed it."

"Whatever.. you just did that to _shut up me up_ right?" Haley huffed out.

She was turning red and he backed her into a filing cabinet. For some reason, the angrier they both got the more he wanted to rip her clothes and press hot open kisses all over her, but for right now he'd just settle for a kiss.

"Well whatever works." He smirked before leaning in and locking her lips with his. He kissed her hard and deep, almost desperately. She had to feel something, he told himself. No way could an amazing kiss like that go unnoticed. When he felt her mouth opening up and their tongues collided, he knew he was right and he pressed on, wrapping her his arms around her waist pulling her closer to him, inhaling ever gorgeous scent that was simply Haley. He didn't think a kiss could feel so good but then again Haley was surprising him once again with her amazing tongue.

Her arms landed on his broad chest, wanting nothing more than to rip his shirt off but she held back and eventually she regained her senses and pushed him off her.

"See nothing." She tried to sound calm, cool, collective. No way was she giving Nathan the benefit of the doubt despite the fact she wanted to run back into his arms and do it again.

Nathan stood there shocked, his ego wounded once more. He saw her as her hands trembled, putting her things back into her bag. She might've been playing it cool a second ago but no he was right. That kiss affected her just as much as it did him. He smirked to himself at the knowledge. Haley James was playing games and Nathan Scott was more than happy to play. He was an athlete after all and he loved the competition.

He grabbed his bag and stood in front of Haley, nearly bumping into him as she was about to make her way out.

"Nothing huh?" He grinned, enjoying the completely flustered look Haley had right now. He cupped her chin in his hands and leaned in, kissing her ever so softly. When he felt her kiss back, he reluctantly pulled his head back and straightened his back.

"Game on James." He smirked at her before opening the door and walking out triumphantly.

Haley stood there for a moment, completely baffled, confused. She was angry at him but at the same time, she felt a sense of excitement she only felt when… well.. when she was kissing him. _This is going to be a long afternoon. _She told herself as she opened the door and stepped out into the hallway.

She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Brooke standing there, a silly grin on her face and her arms crossed.

"Tutorslut." Brooke grinned even wider.

"Brooke.." Haley was startled.

"I so called it between you and hotshot!" Brooke said triumphantly, glad that once again Brooke Davis was right.

"Oh crap.." Haley muttered to herself.

To Be Continued . . . .


	6. Chapter 6

Behind The Scenes

Chapter 6

Thank you once again for the wonderful reviews. I'm really glad you guys are enjoying this story. Now I'd like to remind everyone that Chapters 1 and 2 represent the "present" while the chapters afterwards have been "flashbacks" to how Naley all started. I can't believe this is already the 6th chapter, but I promise that few upcoming chapters are going to move things along faster. I don't want to get stuck too much in the past since you guys already know what happens in the present. Also, what Brooke knows and doesn't know so far will be revealed in this chapter. With that said, I hope I don't confuse you guys with this chapter in terms of time line. The first part of this chapter will take place in the past with a brief scene that is a flashback, so sort of like a flashback within the flashback. The last part of the chapter will take us into the present. This chapter turned out WAY longer than expected and I considered splitting it but decided against it. I actually really enjoyed writing this chapter and I hope you guys will like it to. I've had many people review the first chapter saying they wanted the story to continue, so I'm still waiting to hear back from some of you, lolz. I wanted to show how Naley started and why they didn't tell anyone about it and how they've always had that love/hate relationship. I have one more chapter with Winners and Losers and then I can devote more time to this story and finish up The Mourning After, as well as my other shorter series that I had. I'm actually going to have a lot more free time in the upcoming weeks, so I hope to use that time to update more. Thank you everyone for checking out Winners and Losers, I hope to post the last chapter soon. With that said, enjoy and please review !!!

. . . . .

"Oh so Lucas looks totally hot in blue, you should totally hook up with him." Brooke stated as they walked out onto the court.

"Shut up." Peyton responded.

"What at the very least, you are due for a little rebound action, unless you're still into Jake."

"Luke and me didn't work out last year.. and don't get me started with Jake."

"Still miss him?"

"Yeah." Peyton sighed. "This past summer with him was great but there's nothing I can do about it now, he has to put Jenny first and moving to Savannah is the best thing for her, I can't hold that against him."

"Well you've been moping around too much.. we need to give you some action."

"Oh whatever, like I don't see those mysterious texts you get from that Julian guy you met at LA."

"Hey, you're not the only one who had a hot summer fling.. but you're right Jake's in Savannah, Julian's in LA.. we just have to settle for these guys." Brooke waved her hand dismissively. "I mean it's kind of hard to find a guy around here.. who knows what disease Rach-ho gave them." Brooke said loudly as Rachel past them.

"And all they got from you was disappointment." Rachel rolled her eyes as she walked pass them and join the other girls on the other side.

"Will you and Rachel ever get along?" Peyton asked shaking her head.

"Not likely." Brooke smiled. "But like I said, Lucas totally looks hot in Blue."

"Then maybe you should go after him." Peyton suggested.

"Hmm.." Brooke tapped her fingers on her lips. "I'll give you the courtesy hold on him for the weekend, after that he's fair game."

"He's already fair game, thank you very much." Peyton replied.

Brooke glanced over at Lucas who gave a wave and smile to Haley.

"Unless someone else already has Lucas." Brooke stated.

"Haley?" Peyton laughed. "Are you serious? They're like brother and sister."

"I love Haley and she's a good girl but we're supposed to believe that she's just friend with him .. and don't get me started about her and Nathan?"

"Nathan?!" Peyton laughed. "Would you give that a rest?"

"She got these Scott boys wrapped around her fingers. How does she do it?" Brooke asked herself.

"Her and Nathan hate each other." Peyton reminded Brooke.

Brooke then glanced over to Nathan and saw him nod towards Haley, but all Haley did was narrow her eyes in disgust.

"Oh my God, did you see that? ..Nathan just gave her the nod."

"What nod?"

"The, _let's hook up after game nod_… you want to know what I think… I think Nathan likes tutorgirl, but I think tutorgirl likes Lucas and Nathan and I know I like Lucas and I don't know who the hell you like anymore.. this is turning into one big love rectangle plus one .. two.. three.. whatever that is."

Peyton looked at her friend confused. "Have you been taking one of Victoria's _happy _pills?" Peyton asked and Brooke glared at her. "Haley and Nathan makes even less sense than her and Lucas. Let's not forget what happened during Haley's birthday." Peyton pointed out. She remembered that for a month after Haley's birthday, she didn't sit with them or hang out with them if Nathan was around. Only last week, she started to hang out with them again, even talking with Nathan, or rather both of them arguing with each other back and forth.

"Oh please.. I totally caught them going at it at the Tutor Center last week."

"Would you let that go already?" Peyton shook her head, she didn't know why Brooke was so adamant that they were was something going on between Nathan and Haley, then again Brooke always liked to play matchmaker. This was nothing new to her.

"Seriously! Nathan came walking out of the tutor center with that _I got laid look_ on his face and then Haley came out a second later looking all flustered."

"Haley's a virgin, she wouldn't give it up like that, especially to Nathan Scott. That's probably cuz they were fighting .. again."

"More like fighting with their tongues." Brooke quickly answered and Peyton couldn't help but laugh.

. . . .

Haley entered the packed gym, looking for somewhere to sit. Luckily, she spotted Mouth and he waved at her to take a seat next to him.

"Hey Mouth." Haley said, taking a seat.

"Hey Haley, I'm so glad you're here.. I forgot some of my equipment in my car.. can you watch my stuff?"

"Yeah sure." Haley responded. Mouth liked to broadcast each Ravens game over his blog. She found it admirable that he was doing something with such initiative. In fact, his site has been getting more noticed, especially to students who can't make it to the games.

"Hales!" She heard her name and spotted Lucas smiling and waving at him. She waved back and yelled good luck to him. She then glanced over to Brooke and Peyton, who she could've sworn were staring at her. She shifted in her seat uncomfortably. Brooke had almost caught her and Nathan at the tutor center last week. Luckily Brooke didn't see anything and Haley profusely denied all of Brooke's accusations. She just hoped it was enough. The last thing she needed was for the world to know that her and Nathan kissed.. .. multiple times. That would open Pandora's box, who knew what would happen and more importantly, how would Lucas take it. She was in no way shape or form ready to handle that.

Just then she glanced in front of her and saw Nathan smirking at her. She couldn't help but check him out, his biceps bulging out, his basketball shorts hugging at all the right places, and the thin layer of sweat that started to develop across his face. She hated to admit it but he was definitely a hottie and the way he was looking at her didn't make her feel any better. She didn't want to give Nathan the upper hand and simply gave him one of her trademark glares, but he only seemed to smirk wider and then went off to continue shooting around.

She sighed. She didn't know what to make of Nathan. Everything was so confusing. She started hanging out with the group again, even if Nathan was there. They still had their usual banter but the look on his eyes told her that he was up to something. She couldn't deny the intense looks they shared or when he kissed her, she came alive.

Haley closed her locker and placed her books in her bag. She roamed down the empty halls to go to the tutor center when she felt a pair of hands grab her inside an empty classroom.

"_What the hell?!.. oh it's YOU!" Haley glared at Nathan. She started feeling uncomfortable, especially with him so close and her pinned against the wall. _

"_What're you doing?" She asked nervously._

"_I wanted to say hi." He said softly, as he gazed into her eyes and slowly moved forward. The way he looked at her, it made her forget everything around her and she found herself concentrating on nothing else except him and his perfect rounded lips heading her way. She was surprised when his lips landed on the corner of her mouth. She desperately wanted his lips elsewhere. He pulled back and kissed the other corner._

"_Nathan.." She said hoarsely as he rested his forehead against hers. He was so close now, all she wanted was to kiss him. On instinct, she moved her lips forward to meet his, grazing over it for a split second before Nathan pulled back. _

"_If you want to kiss me, you have to ask?" He smirked. _

_She pushed him off her, cursing at herself for being so weak and getting caught up in the moment. _

"_You're such an ass." _

"_Says the one who wants to kiss me."_

"_I do not want to kiss you." She said disgusted._

"_Then what was that just now." He said amused. _

"_I believe you wanted to kiss me." She crossed her arms._

"_I did kiss you." He said casually. "But you wanted to kiss me." He pointed out._

"_Whatever." She rolled her eyes. "I just got caught up in the moment, it'll never happen again."_

"_Right." Nathan wasn't convinced._

"_God, what the hell is your problem.. you can't go around kissing people whenever you feel like it."_

"_Well, only if they want me to kiss them."_

"_You're really clueless, I do not want to kiss you. .nor do I want you to kiss me."_

_Nathan laughed. "You're lying."_

"_I'm not!"_

"_Yes you are!"_

"_No, I'm not!" _

"_Yes, you are." Nathan chuckled again as he moved back closer to her. Haley huffed and simply rolled her eyes, she felt like she was arguing with a four year old. _

"_I bet you want to kiss me now." He wiggled his eyes. _

Yes, _she told herself and instantly shook that idea of her mind. _

"_Look I don't know what sick game you're playing Nathan.. but I have to go."_

"_You're the one playing games." Nathan stated. _

"_You're the one dragging me into an empty classroom."_

"_Only because you can't admit that you want me."_

"_I don't want you.. God, can you be more cocky.. you know Nathan, there are some of us in the female population who don't buy into your bullshit.. so if you would excuse me, I got things to do."_

_Nathan laughed again and simply brushed it off. His determination even stronger now. He pinned her back against the wall, his arm encircling her tiny waist. It didn't go unnoticed to him how well she fit against him. He softly spoke into her ear, taking the time inhale her intoxicating scene and the feel of her soft hair brushing against his skin. "Admit it James, you want me and I'm not going to stop until you finally admit it." He said softly and then placing one last kiss on her forehead before pulling back._

_She shook her head, trying not to get caught up in the moment again. She glared at him for a second before quickly leaving the empty classroom. She left the room stomping her feet, absolutely furious but a part of her couldn't help but feel excited and that only made her angrier. _

_. . . ._

Haley shook her head out of that memory. If it was any other guy, she would maybe try to pursue it but he wasn't no other guy. He was Nathan Scott and his reputation with girls was infamous. He wanted a rise from her, to make her one of those girls that followed him aimlessly. No, she wasn't going to do that and give him the upper hand. He was just playing games, she convinced herself. No way Nathan Scott would ever have any real feelings for her besides contempt, the same goes for her. At least that's what she told herself.

. . . .

Nathan sat on the bench, aimlessly staring into his locker.

"You okay man." Lucas said, standing over Nathan.

"I'm fine." He said simply.

"Look Nate, it wasn't your fault."

"Our perfect season is over thanks to me."

"Nathan.."

"Look, I played like crap.. my defense was sloppy and I wasn't making my shots."

"Is that what Dan told you?" Lucas crossed his arms. After the game, he saw Dan approach Nathan after their lost and figured that their _father_ only made things worse.

"Whatever.. he's right."

"You had 8 turnovers and 5 blocks.. I'd you say your defense was spot on .. and you missed one shot."

"Only the most important shot." Nathan shook his head, remembering the last few seconds of the game when the Ravens were down by one and Nathan missed the jumper that would've won them the game.

"You can't beat yourself over this.. we're going to go grab food .. you should come."

"Thanks.. but you can go on ahead.. I just.. I just want to be alone."

Lucas nodded, not wanting to bother his brother even more. He grabbed his stuff and headed outside.

"Hey Luke." Haley greeted him. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah.. Nathan's just taking the loss pretty bad.. it didn't help that Dan was here."

"What.. what did he say?"

"He just ripped Nathan a new hole.. same old bullshit Dan does.. making Nathan worthless even though he carried us in this game.. I mean I know we still lost but still."

"He's really that harsh on him?"

"Worse.. you know sometimes I think I got the better end of the deal." Lucas shook his head.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean Dan didn't get to raise me."

"Oh.." Haley said softly.

"Look.. I'm hungry.. ready to grab food?"

"Look you go on ahead.. I got give these notes to this guy on the team I'm tutoring." Haley said holding up the papers in her hands.

"I can wait."

"No it's fine, knowing you.. you're starved."

"Okay fine.. yeah I'm so hungry right now." Lucas laughed. "I wouldn't walk it though.. its supposed to rain later.."

Haley smiled. "I'll hitch a ride with someone .. see you later." Haley waved off.

. . . .

Nathan took his time getting ready. He changed out of his uniform into the pair of khakis and light blue dress shirt he wore before the game. Grabbing his duffle bag, he made it out of the gym, relieved to see that most of the crowd had already left. He turned the corner and nearly bumped into someone.

"Haley.." Nathan said, taking a step back.

"Nathan.." She answered back. She took a good look at him and Lucas was right. He didn't display his usual aura of confidence. He looked down and defeated and Haley found herself wanting to do something, anything to cheer him up.

"Umm.. good game." She offered lamely.

"Yeah .. ok.." They both stood there in awkward silence.

"Um.. everyone is heading to the café."

"I'm not going."

"Oh.."

"I do this thing where I play like crap where I walk home alone.. try to let go of it all on the way."

Haley nodded. "I guess I'll see you later."

"Yeah.. later.." He said and Haley walked by him. He clenched his fist, wanting to say something to her, anything instead of her leaving.

Haley took a few steps, internally debating with herself. Nathan wasn't her friend, they were barely above acquaintances but still she didn't like this defeated look on him. She found herself drawn even more to him now and in the end, her mind fought a losing battle to stay away from him.

"You sure you want to walk alone?" She called out. They both turned around and Nathan gave a small smile and nodded over to her to join him.

They walked in comfortable silence, walking side by side, their arms grazing over each other a few times. Both wanted to keep a safe distance but found it difficult not to be close to the other.

"You know, you didn't play like crap." Haley finally spoke up.

"Yes I did.. I miss the winning shot."

"So?" Haley shrugged. "You got the ball in the hole thingy a lot of times."

Nathan chuckled. "It's called a basket."

"Same thing."

"No, it's not." Nathan laughed. Haley smiled, she saw his face lightening up, but this time she noticed something different. He wasn't carrying his smirk or that cocky grin of his. He looked happy, calm, cool, collective. It was a side she'd never really seen, a side she wished she'd see more of.

"You're really clueless when it comes to basketball huh?" Nathan asked amused.

"I never claimed to be an expert.. besides the guys always tried to teach me but it never worked… I'd prefer to just watch and have someone else explain it to me."

"Well maybe you just haven't met the right person to teach you." Nathan grinned.

Haley grinned back. "Maybe."

They enjoyed the silence around them. It was a far cry from the last time they walked the streets of Tree Hill together. Nathan looked up and saw the clouds thickening, covering the moon and stars above them. A storm was brewing and for Nathan, his was in the form of his dad. He shook his head as he tried to block out yet another tongue lashing Dan gave him. Haley glanced over to him and saw his once calm demeanor replaced with one of anger and disappointment. She had one guess as to the reason for his shift of mood.

"I'm sorry about your dad." She said carefully.

"What about him?" Nathan looked out at her.

"Lucas told me what happened after the game."

"Oh.."

"Is he really that bad?" Haley was curious.

"Worse." Nathan tried to joke. "Lucas is lucky.. he never had to deal with him."

"Yeah." Haley nodded. "He said the same thing." Nathan talked about his father at her birthday, but she never really understood it all until tonight.

"My dad.. he's just .. he's just too much sometimes."

"Why is that?"

"Cuz of the mistakes he made in the past.. I guess he doesn't want me to repeat them but all he's trying to do is live through me .. I don't know.. he gets off some sick high of putting me down." Nathan shook his head. He didn't know why he was opening up to Haley like this but then again he shouldn't be so surprised. Her presence was soothing, comforting, a sense of calmness washing over him.

"Most of the time I just shrug it off and just take it .. other times.." Nathan trailed off.

"Other times what?" Haley prodded.

"Well, let's just say that last year I actually looked up emancipating myself from my parents."

"Really?" Haley looked up at him surprised. She didn't know it was that bad. She shuddered to think the lengths his dad did to him to make him want to emancipate himself.

"Yeah.. luckily High Flyers was around the corner, which meant a summer free of Dan."

"But what about your mom?"

"What about her?"

"Doesn't she know what's going on?"

"If she was here."

"What do you mean?"

"She's always traveling for work.. I guess I don't blame her… who would want to be around me and my dad anyway."

"Nathan, I'm sure it's not like that."

"She tried to leave my dad and me." Nathan suddenly blurted out. He really didn't want to bring this up but then again Haley had a way of opening up.

"What?"

He sighed. There was no use trying to tip toe around the subject since he did bring it up. "Promise not to tell."

"Scout's Honor." She put her hand up mockingly.

Nathan glared at her for a second. "Cute."

She laughed. "I promise I won't tell.. so what happened?"

"Okay.. one summer when I was ten, my mom was gone the whole time .. she said it was work .. and I kept pleading with her to come home because my dad was being an ass again.. but she didn't come back until school started.... she was really having an affair with another guy and was planning on leaving my dad and me to go off with him." Nathan still kept his head low.

"Oh my God.. Nathan .. I'm so sorry." She gently touched his arm.

"Thanks.." He offered a half smile. "Who knows why she came back, my dad probably threatened her or something but when I found that out, that's when I was this close to filing for emancipation." Nathan kept walking. "But whatever.. the school year is half over and after that I can go to college and get away from the mad house."

Haley nodded and was about to say something but they had already arrived at Nathan's house.

"Oh, we're here." Haley commented.

"Yeah.. come on." Nathan said as he led them around the side of the house towards the driveway and garage. Nathan put his bag down on a nearby bench and started to unbutton his shirt. Underneath, he wore a wife beater that highlighted his muscular physique. Haley hated that she was gawking but she couldn't pass up a good sight, especially when it was right in front of her. She watched as Nathan picked up a nearby basketball and handing it to her.

"Nathan, what the hell are you doing?"

"What does it look like? I want to see your jump shot." Nathan desperately wanted to change topics. He already poured his heart out tonight. He wanted to forget all that and do something fun. Besides, it was a thrill watching Haley see him take off his clothes.

"What? NO! You're crazy."

Nathan laughed. "Come on Hales .. I need to see it for myself."

"NO!" Haley cried out. "I'll look stupid."

Nathan continued to laugh. "You realize I've seen you in that crocheted poncho thing you wear, right?"

Haley glared at him for a second while he continued to laugh. "This is embarrassing."

"I'm sure it's not that bad." Nathan offered.

Haley didn't really want to do this but seeing Nathan smiling, not to mention his bulging biceps, she couldn't help but go along with it.

"Fine.. don't say I didn't warn you." She said walking close to the basket. She flung the ball in the air, completing missing the basket. Nathan caught the ball and tried to suppress his laughter.

"Okay.. that was a little embarrassing." Nathan tried not to cringe.

"SEE!" Haley blushed and Nathan found it to be the cutest thing. _God, she has me using cute now. _Nathan shook his head.

"I can't do it."

"Yes you can. You just need the right teacher.. so come on.. tonight I'm tutorboy." Nathan smirked and handed her back the ball and standing behind her. The feel of him so close to her had her palms swearing and her heart beating a mile a minute. "Alright, square your shoulders, to the basket. And you've got to bring the ball up right past your nose like this." Nathan was so close to her now, his mouth mere inches from her ear. "Okay? Bend your knees a little. Relax your hips. And just shoot." He watched as the ball hit the rim. "Okay, that wasn't perfect but it also wasn't embarrassing. It was actually kind of _sexy_."

"Stop!" Haley blushed again as she put her hand against his chest to push him off her but she found her hand lingering there. "Don't say things you don't mean." She added. Nathan wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him.

"But I meant it." He said in a low voice, his eyes darkening as it focused on her. Haley had to remind herself to breath. The way he looked at her sometimes, it shook her to her core. They stood there for a moment, his arms still firmly around her while her hand was still on his chest, not sure if it was his heart she felt beat so rapidly or her's, maybe both of them. He reached out and tucked away a stray strand of her behind her air. He gently grazed the back of his hand across her delicate features and Haley couldn't help but lean into his touch.

"I'm going to kiss you now." Nathan said hoarsely. He'd never wanted to kiss anyone so badly in his life. The way she looked right now and her body pressed against his had his heart racing and his senses in overdrive. For some reason, he needed to know that she really wanted this. The last few times, he was sure of it but she always denied it. He didn't want her to have a single regret or else it would ruin the moment for him. He needed her to want this as much as he did.

Haley couldn't trust herself to speak as she continued to stare into his deep blue and perfect eyes. Without thinking, she nodded and said softly, "Okay."

Nathan slowly lowered his lips onto hers, wanting to savor the moment. He felt her kiss back and he leaned in further. It didn't take long for her mouth to open up and their tongues to clash. She wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing him even closer. The slow kiss quickly intensified that neither heard the sound of thunder in the distance, nor the feel of cold rain drops that started to descend on them.

. . . .

The Present

Nathan stood at his driveway, doing what her normally does to clear his head. He picked up the ball and started to shoot again. He couldn't believe how stupid he was. How could he suddenly blurt that _he loved her_ out loud to Lucas, much less to Haley. If he thought things were complicated before, it was a million times worse.

He heard footsteps approaching and found Haley walking towards him. He swallowed the lump in his throat and put the ball down.

"Hales.." Nathan said softly.

"We.. we need to talk." She said nervously as she crossed her arms.

Nathan nodded and moved towards her.

"I talked to Lucas." She said softly. "I told him everything."

"Everything?" Nathan questioned.

"Well.. I grazed over some of the more colorful details." She said sarcastically.

"How'd he take it?"

"I think he's still trying to take everything in." She said carefully.

Nathan nodded. "Look about earlier.."

Haley moved closer, she had been waiting in anticipation this whole time to talk to Nathan.

"I'm sorry that I went to see Lucas.. I know you wanted to talk to him first."

Haley looked at him confused._ What the hell?_ She told herself. _What about the part when you said you loved me!!_ she wanted to scream at him.

"And the things I said.." He said nervously. "Lucas was yelling at me and I guess I lost it for a second.. umm.. I'm .. I'm sorry." He looked down, not wanting to look into her eyes or else he would lose all resolve.

"So you said you loved me to just to shut Lucas up?" She asked, her anger bubbling to the surface.

"Yes… I mean .. no." Nathan shook his head and Haley nearly flipped. "Things just came out wrong.." He tried to form the right words but somehow ended up digging further into his grave.

"So you said you loved me to please Lucas .. was that how it was ?!" Haley said furiously.

"Look, Hales.. you got it all wrong."

Haley shook her head, she was so angry but most of all hurt and disappointed. She felt like she was right back to when this whole thing started. She thought that they finally wanted the same things but it seems like she was wrong. She thought her and Nathan had finally moved together in the right direction but it seemed that when they managed to take one step forward and two steps back. She was so sure that he meant those words but to find out it was only said in the heat of the moment was too much for her.

"You're right about that!" Haley shouted. She was so full of emotion right now that she was about to blow. "It seems I've been wrong this whole time cuz I thought we were finally on the same page!"

"What?" Nathan asked curiously. "Hales.." He stepped forward. _What the hell did she mean by that? Fuck! Does she love me? _

"NO!" She stepped back. "When you see me later.. don't talk to me!" She quickly ran away and raced into her car that was parked on the street and drove off. Nathan ran after her but she already took off. He watched as her car sped away and he shook his head and cursed to himself. Running his fingers through his hair, he looked up and saw a flash of lightening appeared through the sky and then heard the clasp of thunder. The clouds thickened and rain drops started to fall.

He stood there getting drenched, "I do love you.' He said softly and clenched his fists. He had to find a way to fix this and make things right because loosing her at this point is not an option.

To Be Continued . . . .

Please review!!


	7. Chapter 7

Behind The Scenes

Chapter 7

Thank you all for the kind words! I'm a little concerned with the drop of reviews each chapter, I hope I haven't loss any readers, but to my loyal readers, thank you for your reviews, they help to keep me writing. Now I was sort of at a cross roads last chapter with wanting to pick up the story or slow it down. Since you all are dying to know what's going on in the present, I decided to pick up the pace. Now, this chapter was inspired by "Hands Down" by Dashboard Confessional and the recent rain that has plagued my little area of the world. I really enjoyed writing this chapter and it's probably the fluffiest chapter to date. This chapter is also very important and helps sets the stage for what's next. Also, I just finished Winners and Losers, I started that Valentines Day 2008 and I am so glad to have finally finished that story. Check it out if you can, I kind of wrapped the story up and I don't see the need for a sequel.

So tomorrow is the season finale, which is sort of a series finale since Leyton won't be back :( .. I hope this chapter helps, lolz.

Enjoy and please review!!!

** Quick update: Since so many readers are confused with the time line of this chapter, I want to clarify that this is the past. If you notice the first few paragraphs below, they are taken directly from the last chapter, also the last scene of the "present" (also from last chapter) had Naley at a falling out with Haley driving off away from Nathan ***

. . . . .

"I'm going to kiss you now." Nathan said hoarsely. He'd never wanted to kiss anyone so badly in his life. The way she looked right now and her body pressed against his had his heart racing and his senses in overdrive. For some reason, he needed to know that she really wanted this. The last few times, he was sure of it but she always denied it. He didn't want her to have a single regret or else it would ruin the moment for him. He needed her to want this as much as he did.

Haley couldn't trust herself to speak as she continued to stare into his deep blue and perfect eyes. Without thinking, she nodded and said softly, "Okay."

Nathan slowly lowered his lips onto hers, wanting to savor the moment. He felt her kiss back and he leaned in further. It didn't take long for her mouth to open up and their tongues to clash. She wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing him even closer. The slow kiss quickly intensified that neither heard the sound of thunder in the distance, nor the feel of cold rain drops that started to descend on them.

They didn't know how long they stood out there, seconds, minutes, the concept of time seemed to cease but when they came to their senses, they were both drenched and the cold rain didn't detour the heat radiating off their bodies.

Nathan grabbed a hold of Haley and dragged her inside the house. Haley sat nervously on a stool by the kitchen counter. She watched as Nathan went down the hallway and returned with two towels. He handed one to her and she muttered a quick thank you. Suddenly, she was very nervous and very aware of the fact that she had just made out with Nathan Scott and liked it, more than that she loved it. It was an unsettling feeling, one that made her scared and also excited at the same time. It wasn't the first time Nathan elicited these feelings from her and she doubt it would be the last.

Nathan tried to keep his eyes away from her. She looked even hotter with her hair wet. Instead he focused on drying himself instead of gawking at Haley. He was sure both of them were thinking about what just transpired between them. He was still coming to grips with it himself but one thing was for sure, he wanted to do it again and he didn't want this night alone with Haley to end. He tried to stay in control because if he faltered then it would be all over.

He took off his soaking wife beater and Haley's eyes went wide with the site of his broad chest and rock hard abs glistening. Nathan saw her gawking and smirked to himself. He was glad that the ball was on his court. He took his time drying off, giving Haley every possible moment to savor the sight before her.

"Are you okay?" Nathan asked.

"Yeah.. just _wet_." Haley blushed, that was an understatement. Haley removed her jacket and the wet sweater beneath it. Nathan inwardly gasped as Haley's shirt lifted, giving him a nice view of her smooth stomach and his blood headed south when he saw her nipples poking through her t-shirt. He quickly glanced away and muttered something about being right back.

He ran up to his room and put on a dry shirt and grabbed his rain coat. He rummaged through his closet and found some old clothes of his for Haley to wear. He came back down and handed it to her. She gave a small smile when he handed it to her but he still stared at her.

"Can you excuse me?" Haley raised her eyebrows.

Nathan smiled, as he took a seat, "Oh you're excused," and continued to watch Haley.

"You're such a dork.. turn around!"

Nathan laughed but did as she wished.

"Okay, you can look now."

Nathan turned around and he smiled again. She was wearing one his old Ravens sweat shirts, one his mom accidentally shrunk in the wash. It was still a little big on her but she wasn't swimming in it. It was more of the fact that she was in his clothes that made her look even hotter.

"Here put this on." Nathan ordered as he handed her an old rain coat of his mother's.

She looked up at him confused. "What for?"

"We're going out."

"Out?" She looked at him bewildered.

"Yeah, it stopped raining and I don't feel like staying in." Nathan said casually.

She looked at him like he completely lost his mind.

"It's either that or we talk about the incredibly hot make out session we just had." Nathan smirked.

_Damn him, _she thought as she grabbed the jacket from him. She was by no means ready to discuss their previous actions and a part of her was curious as to where they were going.

She followed him out of his house and into his car, where the heavy rain had stopped but it was still misty outside.

"So where are we going?" She asked. "To that party Andrew is throwing?"

"Nah." He said as he pulled away and droved off. After a few minutes of driving, he still hadn't answered her and she didn't know where she was going. Lucas had already texted her and she lied and said she was just going to turn in for the night due to the weather.

"We're going here?!" She exclaimed as she saw the bright lights of the carnival. "Are you crazy?"

"Ashamed to be seen with me?"

"YES!!"

"I'm hurt Hales." He said mockingly.

"Seriously, Nathan, do you know how many people go to this thing?" The annual Tree Hill winter carnival opened last night and went through the weekend. She often came to these events when she was younger. The last thing she needed was to be seen here Nathan, lord only knows what'll happen if Brooke found out. She had been dodging her accusations left and right recently.

"Well judging by the crappy weather and the near empty parking lot, it's safe to say we're good." Nathan said as he parked the car. Nathan was on the same page, he wouldn't know what to tell people if they saw him with Haley, especially a certain brooding half brother of his. Haley got out and looked around and sure enough he was right. The heavy rains drove off most people and the weather called for better weather tomorrow night so most people will probably go here then.

"So why are here?" Haley asked as she walked alongside Nathan through the entrance.

"I figured we can avoid the long lines and check this thing out.. I've never really been to one of these things?"

"Are you serious?"

"My dad always found something better for me to do.. i e basketball… and when I got older, my _friends_ thought they were too cool for this."

"Deprived child hood huh? I'll buy it .. for now."

"Well .. it was either this or we can go back to what we normally do?"

"And what would that be?"

"Argue then pull you in a dark corner and kiss you senseless again."

Haley immediately blushed at the thought.

"And I have the backseat of my car in case you want to ditch this place already?" Nathan wiggled his eyes.

Haley playfully smacked his arms as the two strolled inside.

. . . . .

"This is boring." Nathan complained. "No wonder I never came to these things, it's a waste of time.. what am I ten?"

"Well if you were here when you were little I'm sure you would've had more fun." Haley said as she finished her cotton candy. Nathan was right, there may have been a dozen or so other people there. There were more workers here than patrons and most of them were off, either talking on the phone or to each other. Luckily, none of these people Haley recognized.

"It's cold and all dreary and I'm surrounded by all these corny game booths." Nathan continued.

Haley laughed. Nathan thought that playing the games here would be a cinch, but he soon learned the hard way and lost on all the games he played. He even lost to Haley on that stupid race horse game where you squirt a water gun through a hole to move the horse.

"And are all the games some stupid thing where you toss a ball or a ring onto something?!"

"Says the basketball player."

"Well basketball is different.. that's a sport those other games.. well they're rip offs!"

Haley laughed, he sounded like her four year old nephew.

"Oh it's not that bad."

"Well bumper cars was nice." Nathan smirked.

"Of course you would think that... I especially liked how you cornered me and kept ramming into me." Haley said sarcastically.

"Say it again."

"Say what?" She asked.

"How I kept ramming into you." He smirked.

"You're such an ass!" She slapped his arm again and he just laughed. "Is that all you think about!?"

"Yes." He said truthfully. "I wouldn't mind teaching tutor girl a thing or two."

"Pig." Haley rolled her eyes.

"Aww .. don't give me that.. don't tell me you don't think about it?"

"Think about what?"

"Sex."

"Well.. yeah I've thought about it."

"With me."

Haley nearly choked on herself. "You know Nathan, there's more to girls than just getting laid."

"Really, care to enlighten me."

"It's about being with somebody else.. finding companionship, someone to talk to about your day or if you're having problems.. someone who will be there for you no matter what .. and sex is just .."

"Just what?"

"Extra. " She said carefully and then paused for second, "and these are concepts you fail to understand which is why you're still an ass and why I would never consider sleeping with you."

"Because you think I'm just out for sex."

"Well aren't you?"

"What if I'm not?"

"I'd say you're avoiding the question because you know I'm right. Either way, I'm not buying it.. you might've been able to ruffle me up by laying your lips on mine.. but I'm onto you Scott and there's no way I will ever sleep with you.. no less kiss you again." She said resolutely. It was time she found her voice and put Nathan in his place. There would be no point in trying to deny that they kissed or that she had kissed him back. She got caught up, that was all. A girl was able to do that and have it not mean anything. This was all part of Haley's new and improved growing up plan.

"Well first of all you're wrong, just because it walks on two legs and has a nice rack doesn't mean I want to fuck every girl I see."

"Must you be so crude."

"Must you be so prude." Nathan countered. "Oh that rhymes!" Nathan teased, knowing full well of Haley's knack of inexplicitly busting out in rhyme.

"Ass!" She glared at him.

"Secondly.. after what you just said, I don't want to kiss you!"

"Really?" She laughed.

"Okay, correction, I won't kiss you.. if you want these badboys," Nathan motioned to his lips, "then you just have to get them yourself." Nathan huffed. _Ha, how does she like that now!!_ How dare she said those things, Nathan Scott was more than that, at least that's what he hoped for and he knew she enjoyed their little sporadic make out sessions just as much as he did so if she wanted to deny herself the pleasure then so be it. Although he'll be left out too, at least she can blame herself.

"Third!" He spoke up.

"Oh this should be good." Haley crossed her arms.

"Third," He repeated. "I think I finally found a game to play." He smirked as he saw the basketball hoop. "Come on," He grabbed her arm and they walked quickly to the stand. Nathan laid down a stack of singles and started to shoot.

After a few minutes, Haley started to yawn as Nathan made yet another shot in.

"Damn, son.. you're pretty good." The elderly worker said.

"Thanks." Nathan replied.

"I think you just won all the stuffed animals I have here." The old man scratched his head.

"No, it's okay.. I don't want it."

"You sure?"

"Yeah.. keep 'em I just wanted to shoot around."

"Well how about one for that pretty date of yours?"

"Oh we're not on a .." Haley tried to correct him but Nathan cut in.

"She'd love one." Nathan smiled as the elderly man brought out a huge stuffed bear.

"This is Jack the bear." The old man said.

"Here Hales, this is for you." Nathan tried to hand it to her.

Haley laughed. "No.. you want it.. you keep it ."

"What .. I can't give my _date_ a prize."

"We're not on a date." Haley tried to correct him.

"It's just us two tonight, hanging out, playing games and eating cotton candy, not to mention me checking out your ass .. this is _sooo_ a date."

Haley gasped in shock.

"Haha, relax Hales, a date is different from a person you're actually dating.. so come on take the bear." Nathan wined.

"Nope.. I don't want Jack.. no pun intended."

"Fine." Nathan said as he put the bear back down on the counter. He wasn't going to lug around the big bear either, but he did notice a multi colored plastic bracelet on the bear's wrist. "Sorry man, she doesn't want it .. but can I take this?" Nathan grabbed the bracelet.

"Sure thing.. you kids have a good night." The elderly man took the bear and walked away.

"Here." He grabbed Haley's wrist and placed the bracelet around it. "Don't say I never gave you anything?" He smiled genuinely and Haley couldn't help but blush.

"And by the way," He whispered into her ear. "This is a date."

"Is not."

"Is too."

"Is not."

"Is too." He kept countering back like a little kid and both of them started to laugh.

"Oh the Ferris Wheel!" Haley clapped her hands excitedly and he smiled at how happy she looked but at the sight of the big wheel.

"Let's go see something else." Nathan said quickly.

"What? Why.. my legs are tired and I could sit down."

"Then let's sit on the bench."

"What? No, what's wrong with the Ferris Wheel?"

"Nothing.. it's just that it's been raining, who knows how safe that thing is?"

"Oh I get it.. you're scared." Haley teased.

"I'm not!" Nathan didn't even sound convincing.

Haley busted out laughing. "The big bad Nathan Scott.. afraid of the little old Ferris Wheel."

"I'm not scared."

"Then why won't you get on." She countered and Nathan struggled with the words.

"I .. I just don't like the height… look at that thing.. it's massive!"

Haley laughed harder, she couldn't help but find him so cute and adorable right now, the boy looked absolutely frightened at the prospect of going up the damn thing.

"Is that anyway to treat you're _date_?" She mocked. She still felt like Nathan was full of crap but if he wanted to stick with this whole date facade, then she knew how to play along as well.

"So we're on a date now?" He raised his eyebrow.

"I don't know.. a date would go on the Ferris Wheel with me." She countered.

"Fine.." Nathan grumbled as he paid the attendant and the two got in. He was so nervous that he didn't notice Haley whisper something to the attendant.

As the wheel turned, Nathan felt like he was going to hurl and he gripped the hand bar tighter. Haley found it amusing seeing him so scared. She actually thought the whole thing was cute.

"Would you relax?"

"I am relaxed." Nathan said nervously and he damn near jumped out of his seat when the wheel stopped when they were at their highest.

"Oh God! See I told you.. this thing is broke and now we're going to die up here!!" Nathan said panicked and Haley laughed. To make matters worse, the clouds opened up again and very light rain started to fall

"Relax, Nathan, I told the attendant to stop it when we got here."

"Why would you do that?! Just get us back down." Nathan closed his eyes and gripped the bar tightly. He felt her hand on his and he started to relax, he turned to her and open his eyes and saw her big brown eyes looking at him.

"Just relax." She squeezed his hand. "You'll see it's not that bad."

Nathan took a deep breath and leaned back. He let go of the hand bar but kept his hand firmly on Haley's. The space inside wasn't that big and they were arm to arm with each other.

"See..." Haley said as she rested her head against Nathan's shoulders and she could already feel him relax more.

"So I never pegged Nathan Scott to be scared of heights.. now I know your dark little secret." She teased.

"Well how about you? I'm sure you got some skeletons in your closet."

"In second grade, I stole candy from a store."

"Please.. who hasn't .. tell me something real.. something no one knows."

"I hate studying."

"What? But you're a tutor.. you're like the smartest one in our class." Nathan was confused.

"Well, it's not so much I hate it as more of the fact that I just don't feel like doing it twenty four seven… I mean I love my classes, I love to learn and I enjoy tutoring but at the same time I just want to kick back sometime and enjoy life you know.. but responsible Haley James takes over and I have to remind myself not to falter because there's no way my parents could afford to send me to college, especially my dream school."

"That's like me with Basketball.. no school would take me without that.." He said softly. Haley was about to say something else but Nathan didn't want to talk about his problems, he wanted to know more about her. "What's your dream school?

"Stanford."f

"Sounds expensive." Nathan nodded his head.

"Yep.. which is why I need to ace my classes and hopefully get a scholarship."f

"Don't worry so much James, you'll do fine.. just remember to take a break every once and a while .. like tonight for instance.. a night to just kick back and relax.. with me of course."

Haley laughed. "Of course."

They stayed there in comfortable silence, up in the air over looking the bright lights of the carnival. Nathan eventually removed his arm from Haley's hand and wrapped it around her shoulder to give them more space. He was relieved when Haley didn't pull away and continued to lean in against him with her head still resting against his shoulder. Eventually the operator turned the gears back on and they got out and landed back on solid ground.

"Glad to be back on the Earth?" She teased as they walked.

"In the full spirit of disclosure, I have a secret I have to confess." Nathan spoke up.

"What is it? Scared of the Merry Go Around?" She teased.

"I'm not scared of heights." Nathan whispered into her ear.

"WHAT?!" She pulled back and he started laughing.

"I went bungee jumping last spring.. of course I'm not scared of heights." He laughed and Haley repeatedly whacked his arm.

"Damn, Hales.. I'm just glad I don't bruise easily."

"You're such an ass!" She tried to hit him but he took off running. She chased after him and he made sure to slow down enough so she could catch up to him. She was going to hit him again but he wrapped his arms around her and got her in a bear hug.

"Let me go!" She tried to struggle but it was no use, he wasn't releasing his grip and being so close to him, she didn't even want him to. She looked up at him and saw his blue eyes staring down at her. He leaned down and rested his forehead against hers. She relaxed in his arms and she anxiously anticipated his lips on hers. He wanted to kiss her so badly but he remembered what he said, he wasn't going to.

"Ready to go?" He asked as he released her. She nodded, trying to get her senses back in order. He grabbed her hand and led them back to his car and it wasn't lost to both of them that Haley didn't pull her hand away from his.

They got in the car and Nathan started the engine and soft music from the radio started to play. Haley glanced over the clock on the dashboard and didn't realize how late it was. She looked out the window and twirled her hair in her fingers in an attempt to calm her nerves. Something had changed tonight, even when Nathan got her mad she still enjoyed it and she even enjoyed their banter. In fact, this was the most fun she had in a while. They arrived at Haley's house from the rear entrance because she forgot her keys but she there was a hidden spare for the back entrance. Nathan debated with himself whether to walk with her to the gate or stay in the car.

She made his choice for her as she said a quick goodbye and got out of the car. One more second with him and she didn't know if she could control herself. He stayed in his car and looked on while she walked quickly to the gate. He saw her struggling with it and he got out of the car to see what was going on.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"The gate is locked and the spare keys are underneath that plant." Haley pointed to the flower pot across the gate. The gate wasn't that high and without a second thought, Nathan started to climb over it. He easily made it over and grabbed the spare keys. He unlocked the gate and handed the keys to Haley.

"Thanks." She mumbled as she went up the stairs and nervously tried to unlock the door. She was sure Nathan left but her hands were shaky and the keys fell to the ground. She was surprised to see his hands bend down and grab it.

"Need help?" He said softly as he reached around her and put the key in the key hole. She stood firm on her spot, both of them facing each other. They looked at each other, a mixture of emotions running through both of their faces. Looking into his eyes, she knew it was a loosing battle. Her hands wrapped around his waist and she looked up at him. She raised her toes to get closer to him and he tilted his head down to meet her. Their lips were a few inches apart but Nathan dared not make a move. Finally letting go over her fears, she lifted herself even higher, her lips crashing onto his. That was all Nathan needed, as he opened his mouth up for her, with one hand wrapping around her waist, the other resting against the door in an attempt to steady both of them as they hungrily devoured each other. And the rain continued and poured harder, washing away everything around them.

_Hands down this is the best day I can ever remember,_

_I'll always remember the sound of the stereo,_

_the dim of the soft lights,_

_the scent of your hair that you twirled in your fingers_

_and the time on the clock when we realized it's so late_

_this moment we share together_

_and the streets were wet_

_and the gate was locked so I jumped it,_

_and I let you in._

_And you stood at your door with your hands on my waist_

_and you kissed me like you meant it._

_And I knew that you meant it,_

_that you meant it,_

_that you meant it,_

_and I knew,_

_that you meant it,_

_that you meant it_

To Be Continued . . . .

enjoyed? please review!


	8. Chapter 8

Behind The Scenes

Chapter 8

Thank you all for the reviews. I was literally driving by in crappy rainy weather and passed by a carnival/fair that was set up in a big parking lot and it was empty because of the weather and I thought how much that sucked for the organizers. A few days later I heard Hands Down and I somehow thought about the carnival and I got my inspiration for last chapter. Now I'm a little nervous about this chapter, you'll see why. Just remember that this is the past and certain things needed to happen to get us to where we were in chapter 1. So just to make things clear, this takes place in the past. In terms of the "present," not much time has passed, the party happened and it is now the next day, early the next day before prom.

On a side not, I wrote a One Shot called "Principal's Office" and wrapped up Winners and Losers, so please check those out if you can. I'm hoping for inspiration to come to me for the next chapter of the Mourning After. In my one shot I gave my little critique about the finale. But just to sum it up, I had mixed feelings because we didn't get any interaction between most of the core 5, in particular Lucas/Nathan and Lucas/Haley. Also the Sawyer Brooke Scott? WTF, I would've liked it to be a little more original and perhaps name her after maybe Ellie or Karen, shoot I'd even take phycho Carrie. But certain scenes like Dan/Whitey, Victoria/Brooke, Lucas/Karen and of course Haley finding out about Nathan's call up, well those tugged at my heart, I was very emotional through out this episode. OTH won't be the same without Leyton, but thank God for fanfics. Aside from Quinn, I'm nervous about the new characters coming in, I hate for them to have all the attention, I'd really love it if they brought back like Rachel or Jake and make them full time, it'll give the show some sense of familiarity.

Anyways, here's the next chapter, enjoy and please review!!

. . . .

"What's the little whore's name?" Dan called out from his study.

Nathan stopped in his tracks and turned to see his father getting up from his seat and walking over to him. Dan flipped the light switched and looked at the clock, it was almost 2 in the morning.

"What do you want Dad?" Nathan huffed out. It was late and he wasn't in the mood to deal with him.

Dan walked up to him and took a whiff. "You even smell like some freaking pansy. You were sloppy tonight and you go out and celebrate with some tramp!"

"Last time I checked, we won tonight." Nathan was quick point out.

"And last time I checked, Whitey took you out for most of the game, I mean for once I agreed with the old man. 11 points and three assists! That's the worst game you had all season.. in fact I don't remember you scoring so low, but of course Lucas was having the game of his life!"

Nathan gritted his teeth. "Of course you would know." Nathan rolled his eyes. Dan could probably run through all Nathan's stats better than Dan could remember his own social security number. Sure it wasn't his best game, but he tried and they won. Nathan didn't understand what the big deal was but for Dan Scott, nothing would ever be good enough.

"By the way, Lucas is your son too."

"Thanks for the history lesson smart ass. Do you even care how this'll look at your record?"

"It's one game.. and one game we won."

"Yeah.. after a horrible lost last week! Dammit Nathan! I thought I raised you better than this. This is your senior year! Your last chance to impress the scouts!"

"Dad.."

"No! Tomorrow, I'm waking your ass up and we're doing drills, someone needs to put you back into shape. Don't think I haven't noticed you coming home late this week .. I thought it was nothing but clearly I was wrong."

Nathan stared back at his father hard. Ever since that night at the carnival with Haley, he couldn't stop thinking about her. They were both busy during the day and could only meet up at night. He looked forward to it each day, something about Haley kept drawing him in. They didn't tell a soul and they liked it that way. Together they could just be Nathan and Haley, they would talk and argue, and kiss and argue again and then kiss some more.

"You've been seeing the same girl, huh?" Dan remarked, he could tell from his son's eyes. "This is worst than I thought .. you're falling for her!"

"Dad let it go." Nathan shook his head and marched up to his room.

"This isn't over!" Dan called out as Nathan headed up the stairs. Nathan shook his head, tomorrow was going to be a long day.

. . . .

Haley fluffed the pillows on the couch and straightened out some items on the coffee table. She had drinks, popcorn and a collection of DVD's that they could watch, not like she cared what they would watch, it was would all end the same way, with her totally locked in a steamy make out session with Nathan.

Haley still couldn't believe what they were doing. The night of the carnival had changed her, changed them. She didn't know how long they made out in front of her doorstep but the only reason they stopped was because her mom woke up and turned on the lights in the kitchen. Nathan quickly took off after that but she was surprised to see him the next day and the day after that and so on. She couldn't deny her attraction to him any more after that, in fact she didn't want to. She was tired of fighting her feelings and just went with it. Sure, Nathan frustrated her to no end but he challenged her and made her feel alive. Even now, she was filled with a bevy of emotions, nervousness, anticipation, excitement. It seemed with Nathan, all her senses came alive. There was also the added thrill of keeping their relationship private.

They continued their usual banter in front of their friends. It seemed that their new found relationship didn't detour Nathan from pressing her buttons whenever he got the chance, in turn she pushed back but once alone, they couldn't deny the passion between them. So for the past week, they met up in private, talking, touching, kissing. They didn't actually discuss what they were or more importantly what they weren't. Haley didn't want to take the chance of ruining whatever they had now. For the moment, Haley was happy to live in the present and damn the consequences later. She was 18 and about to graduate high school in the spring, it was time she started to live a little, she already had the rest of her life planned out.

A knock coming from the back alerted her of Nathan's presence. She was thankful for her parents' frequent trips to visit her other siblings and their families, it let her have the house to herself. She tried to hide the big smile on her face, she hadn't seen him all day and missed him terribly. When she opened the back door, she was surprised to find him looking tired and disheveled.

"Hey." Nathan gave her a small smile.

"Hi.. come in." She motioned for him to get inside and she closed the door behind him. "You.. you okay?" She asked hesitantly.

"I'm just tired."

"Oh sorry." She blushed, she felt bad, they stayed up pretty late last night.

"No, it's okay.. my dad woke me up early for training and then practice today was a bitch." Nathan shook his head, the frustration evident in his voice.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Haley felt bad. Nathan looked clearly out of it, maybe this was a bad idea. "If you're not up for hanging out we can.."

"Nah, it's okay." Nathan quickly responded and made his way into the living room. "It looks like you have everything set up.

"Okay." Haley nodded and followed him. Nathan was tired as hell but the only thing that kept him going all day was the fact that he would hang out with Haley.

"Umm.. I have a bunch of movies. See any you like?"

"I don't care.. whatever you want." Nathan responded as he took a seat. Haley went through the movies and picked up one up with a little bit more action and a little less story. She could sense that something was up with Nathan and she could already hear him bitch to her about putting on one of her "chick flicks."

Haley took a seat next to Nathan and pressed play.

Nathan turned to look at Haley. His father's words rang in his ear, about him being soft and having some girl affect his game. Nathan scoffed at the thought, he'd been with plenty of girls before, he could handle this. Sure he'd been staying up later than normally but that's nothing a good night sleep couldn't fix. As far as falling for Haley, Nathan laughed at the idea. He wasn't falling for her. Sure he liked her, why else would he be hanging out with her and she was hot.. no beautiful, he was just being a guy. There was no way he was falling for her, sure she was not only pretty, she's smart, funny, easy to talk to. He liked how he could fire her up and vice versa and the way her eyes would glare at him when they were fighting, or how she bit her lips when she was nervous and … _oh crap _Nathan thought to himself.

Haley could feel Nathan's gaze on her and it sent shivers down her spine. She couldn't believe that even one look from him got her so worked up. She could tell from the corner of his eye that he was in deep thought. Finally, she turned her head to look at him.

"What?" She asked.

"Nothing." He quickly replied and turned back to the TV, _what the hell are we watching?_

Haley accepted his answer and turned back to the TV, but it didn't take long for her to feel his gaze on her once again.

_Oh crap, there's no way I'm falling for her. Absolutely no way. Dan can kiss my ass, she's certainly not affecting my game._ Nathan thought to himself. _She's just a girl you like to hang out with from time to time and kiss occasionally.. frequently..God I want to kiss her so bad.. fuck .. I'm so screwed!_

Haley turned her head back around. "You have that look."

"Look? What look?" Nathan tried to play dumb.

"You know?" She narrowed her eyes and licked her lips slightly and then bit on her lip. That was all he needed as he swooped down and captured her lips. She immediately opened her mouth up to him and their tongues instantly went for each other. She wrapped her arms around his neck. Nathan leaned forward and gently laid Haley down on the couch with him on top of her. He cupped her face and his hands traveled through her hair.

Her lips, her scent, it was intoxicating and Nathan couldn't help but get lost in the haze of pleasure that surrounded them. Her hands wandered through his muscular back and his lips left hers and started to travel down her chin and then kissing and sucking on the soft spot on her neck.

"Nathan!" She cried out and Nathan damn near lost it. He wouldn't mind hearing that again, as thoughts of Haley screaming his name while he plowed into her filled his mind. "Nathan!" She cried again and he knew he should stop or else he'd leave a mark there that would last for days. He quickly went back to kissing her swollen lips.

Her hands managed to find their way underneath his shirt. Nathan was going wild, he loved the feel of her soft hands traveling all over him. He quickly pulled away and tossed his shirt aside. Haley licked her lips at the sight of his broad chest and rock hard abs. Her hands wandered through his chest and across his stomach, before landing on his back and forcing him back on top of her.

Nathan willingly obliged and attacked her lips once more. His hands traced the curves of her sides and pretty soon, he found himself unbuttoning the buttons of her blouse. Haley knew what was happening but she couldn't find the will or the strength to put a stop to it. Her chest was fully exposed to him now and when he cupped her breasts, she nearly lost it. When his hands started reaching under her back to unclasp her bra, the warning alarms in her head started to go off.

Sure they had hot make out sessions this past week but nothing this intense. Her hands would occasionally slip under his shirt or vice versa but it was never like this. Haley was torn between letting this continue and putting a stop to it. This time, sensible Haley James won out and she started to push him off her.

"Nathan.." She cried out as his hands unhooked her bra.

"Nathan!" She pushed harder and moved away from him. She covered her arms across her chest and Nathan silently berated himself for letting it go this far. Nathan turned away as Haley adjusted her bra and buttoned some of the buttons on her blouse.

"Sorry." He muttered as he got up and grabbed his shirt. He couldn't believe he was this stupid to let it go this far. Haley wasn't that girl, but he couldn't deny how much he wanted her at the moment, the tightness in his jeans could attest to that.

"It's okay." Haley said softly, already she missed the feel of him pressed up against him.

"Look, you're right .. this was a bad idea.. it's been a long day."

"Nathan.. you sure?"

"Yeah.. I'll.. I'll see you later." He said quickly as he took off.

Haley sat there alone on the couch, her shirt still half open and the throw pillows on the floor. _God, what am I getting myself into?_

. . . .

Nathan quickly opened the door to his house, wanting nothing more than to get to his room and jack himself off silly.

"You're home early." Dan teased as he placed himself between Nathan and the stairs. "Did the old ball and chain let you out early?"

"Whatever." Nathan muttered as he side stepped Dan and quickly marched up the stairs. He closed the door behind him and leaned against it. He already knew he wasn't falling for Haley James, the simple truth was that he had already fallen and he didn't know how he was going to get back up, if he wanted to get up at all.

. . . .

Haley rested her head on her hands as she continued to _listen_ to Brooke go off about the horrible date she went on last night. Her and Brooke got out of class early and were outside in the quad. Lunch period was next and soon the rest of their friends would be joining them.

"And he wanted to split the bill.. after HE ate all the appetizers.. Haley!!" Brooke snapped her fingers in front of Haley's face.

"Huh?"

"Are you even listening to me?"

"Yeah.. he picked you up in his mom's station wagon."

"I said that like 5 minutes ago.. what's going on with you?"

"Nothing." Haley straightened up. Truth was, she was a bit of a mess. It had been two days since her last encounter with Nathan. It was killing her to see him everyday with their friends and now know what was going on with them. It was like he was avoiding her. He didn't call or anything and when she tried to talk to him alone, he quickly made some excuse and left. She didn't know where she stood with him and she was starting to regret this whole _live in the moment _attitude.

"Oh, I can't believe I'm being so rude.. here I am talking about my horrible date when you don't have a date to bitch about."

"Oh, what no.. it isn't like that."

"Really?" Brooke raised her eyebrows and Haley didn't know much more she could take. She seriously needed to talk to someone.

"Okay, maybe you're right."

"See I knew it.. you know what .. I have a great idea."

"Oh this should be good." Haley said sarcastically.

"Shush.. or I won't help you." Brooke stuck out her tongue.

"Help Haley with what?" Peyton asked as she took a seat with Nathan and Lucas right behind her. Nathan sat across from Haley and Haley tried not to look his way but his ears perked up when he approached the table.

"I'm setting Haley here with a date." Brooke smiled and Nathan nearly gagged on his drink.

"What's your problem?" Brooke turned to Nathan, "sad that she's going to be taken off the market?" She teased.

Peyton rolled her eyes, she still can't believe Brooke thought something was up between Nathan and Haley. Lucas chuckled, amused by the thought of his best friend and brother dating.

"Yeah, like that'll ever happen." Lucas spoke up.

"Yeah.. how much are you going to pay for this loser?" Nathan tried to play it off.

Lucas choose to ignore his brother. "But, seriously what's this date?" Lucas asked more concerned, Haley could already see him going into big brother protective mode. She was glad that he didn't know about Nathan, lord only knows how he would react.

"Nothing.." Haley said but Brooke cut her off.

"I'm helping Haley with her little dry spell.. I figure if I can hook Haley up with a decent guy then maybe the dating gods will reward me by sending me a guy of my own."

"I'm glad to see you so selfless." Peyton mused.

The group continued to chat except Nathan who was mostly quiet, his jaw clenched and his eyes desperately avoiding Haley's.

. . . .

Lunch couldn't end sooner. If Nathan had to listen to Brooke talk about how hot she was going to make Haley for her date, he was going to kill himself. God, he's such an idiot. This was what he gets for trying to get in between her pants. He probably scared her, but this was a good thing right? He'd been avoiding Haley because he knew his feelings for her kept growing. Basketball was his life, especially now in his senior year. He needed to impress the scouts or else he'd never leave Tree Hill and get away from his dad. Nothing was going to stop him from achieving that, especially not a certain Haley James.

This was good, she can date whatever prick she wanted to and he'd be over her.. over them, _yeah right_ a voice rang in his head. But why would Brooke hook Haley up if Haley didn't mention something. Maybe she wanted to get rid of him? He really did go too far the other day. He was getting so heated and frustrated, he didn't know what to think at this point.

"Nathan!" Haley called out after him. After lunch, she wanted to talk to him, to make him understand that this was all Brooke's idea.

"Shouldn't you be getting ready for your date?" He said coldly.

"What's your problem?" She asked as she pulled him inside an empty classroom.

"Nothing." He shrugged, even though the thought of some other punk with _his girl_ was tearing him up inside but he had to remind himself that she wasn't his girl and if he wanted to get away from his dad, she had to be not his girl.

"Is this about that whole date thing, I promise you I don't know what Brooke.."

"Haley.. it's fine." Nathan cut her off.

"Wait what?"

Nathan tried to sound more collective or risk all this blowing up in his face. "You want to go on a date with another guy that's cool."

"It is?" Haley couldn't believe this.

"Yeah.. I mean .. it's not like we're together or anything.. we're just having… _fun_." Nathan said carefully.

"Fun?" Haley questioned. "So we were just having fun?" She repeated.

Nathan swallowed the lump in his throat. "Yeah.." He shrugged as if it was nothing. "I mean.. I got a date coming up too." He lied.

"You do?" Haley couldn't believe what she was hearing.

Just then the bell rang and Nathan was grateful.

"I got to get to class.. I'll.. I'll see you later."

Haley watched him leave again and she stood there for a moment, completely baffled and hurt. Was she imagining things? She thought her and Nathan had something, _more_. She was clearly wrong, maybe she was right, maybe it was just about sex. She wouldn't sleep with him and now he's going off on dates. Haley closed her eyes and took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself. A part of her was angry with Nathan, but part of her regretted not taking the chance with him. She knew the kind of guy Nathan was, sure he was a good guy underneath it all but she couldn't judge him. It was thanks to her that he took off his shirt the last time they were together. She teased him and could she really blame him for going after something she wasn't offering? More than that, was she ready to offer herself to him?

Once again, Nathan Scott had instilled upon her a myriad of emotions. The conflict between her heart and her mind ravaged on. For as long as she could remember, Haley had lived by the rules and held everything up to the highest of morale standards. But she grew up and she realized that certain things weren't as simple as that. Life wasn't black and white. It was a spectrum of colors that Haley had yet to explore, a world of wonder and excitement, a world Nathan introduced her to, a world that unfortunately for her also included Nathan Scott.

To Be Continued . . . .


	9. Chapter 9

Behind The Scenes

Chapter 9

Thank you all for the reviews. I'm sorry for not updating what is going on in the "present," we'll get there don't worry. This chapter though is all flashback to the past. I'm glad you all thought Dan was an ass and rightfully so. This chapter references a conversation Nathan and Lucas had in chapter 1, keep in mind that as of now (in the past) no one knows about Nathan and Haley's relationship. I know some of you wanted to see a jealous Nathan, well you'll get a little in this chapter as well as a jealous Haley. I was half inspired by watching some MTV recently, you'll know what I mean.

I posted another story yesterday, Stillness. I know I shouldn't be doing it but I already know it's not going to be long so check it out.

Enjoy and please review!!

. . . . .

"How's your food?"

"Umm, it's good.. how about your's?" Haley asked, taking a forkful of her pasta in her mouth.

"Not bad, the steak is a little bit more rare than I like but it's good." Chase responded.

Chase Adams was the second guy Brooke hooked Haley up with after a disastrous first blind date nearly three weeks ago. He who shall not be named otherwise known as John DiCicco, was a nice guy at first but he was totally into himself and all about money. Haley could tell that Brooke knew him from the country club their fathers' belonged to. Haley had the worst time and berated Brooke for setting her up, much to Lucas' amusement who was relieved that it didn't go well.

Brooke's second choice, Chase, was much better. Haley refused to go on any more blind dates but she already knew Chase. They were in some classes back in grade school, they knew of each other but never talked to one another. Chase's family moved to a bigger house in the town over to Tree Hill, so he was in a different school district and didn't attend Tree Hill High School. This was their _third_ date and so far things were going well.

Their first _date_ was an impromptu set up by Brooke. Brooke and Haley were out one day and Brooke had a craving for ice cream during one mild day. Hold and behold, Chase was there, Brooke ditched them and that was that. It was awkward at first, being blind sided by that but it turned out to be okay. They had some icecream and walked through the streets. Things went well and they exchanged numbers. They talked on the phone and texted each other on occasion. Their second date a few days ago consisted of him going out with her to the mall to do Christmas shopping. Haley had a big family so having an extra pair of arms to help carry shopping bags was a huge plus.

Now, here they were at Il Duce, an American-Italian restaurant sharing a pleasant meal. Haley liked Chase, she did. He was smart but by no means a geek, they shared similar tastes in music. He was a gentleman, opening doors for her and pulling out chairs for her. He followed sports like any typical guy but the only he only played baseball, but he was a big skater. Plus, he wasn't too bad in the eyes. He had dark hair and brown eyes, similar in color to her own, he had a fair build, the skating helped kept him toned but was nowhere near cut like Nathan. _Nathan_, damn him for popping into her mind.

She hated how he randomly popped up in her head. She should've known better than to get involved with him and she was relieved she got out when she got a chance. Things between them were icy at best, not like their friends noticed. To them it was another day in the life with Nathan and Haley. There were only a few times over the past few weeks where they were alone, but when it was just them they didn't talk much and clearly avoided the topic of them. She wanted to kill herself the other day at lunch when Lucas and Nathan were talking about yet another date Nathan went on.

She lost track on how many girls he went out in the past few weeks. Six, okay she was kidding herself. She knew each and everyone of those bitches and true to form, they were your stereotypical blond or brunette bimbo. Of course, Nathan would pick them for their dates. Haley rolled her eyes. What was it, a competition with him?

She took another bite and told herself that she wouldn't think of him anymore. She was here with Chase. Chase who was not Nathan, who's eyes weren't blue and sparkled. Haley shook her head, _No, not again!_

"Are you okay?" Chase asked.

Taking a glass of her water to buy sometime, she replied, "Yeah.. I think I bit a pepper." She tried to play off. He bought it and they settled into pleasant conversation.

"It's this little town in Orange County my family goes to each summer, they have the best beaches.." Chase was talking when suddenly the table shook and his glass of water came crashing to the floor with a loud crash. Luckily, the drink was almost empty so it was mostly ice that scattered.

"Oh.. I'm so sorry." A voice called out.

Haley looked up and saw Nathan with a _"yeah I'm not really sorry"_ smirk on his face. The waiter who was leading Nathan to his table apologized and called out to the busboys to get Chase another drink.

"Haley, fancy running into you here." Nathan said sweetly.

"Nathan." Haley narrowed her eyes.

"Aren't you going to introduce me?" Nathan flashed a brilliant smile.

"Chase.. this is Nathan.. Nathan, Chase.." The two nodded to each other. "Nathan is Lucas' half brother."

"Your table is this way?" The waiter called out for Nathan.

"If you'd excuse me." Nathan smirked and Haley grew furious. She knew that Nathan was somehow trying to sabotage her date.

"Eating by yourself?" Haley tried to sound polite. "I'd invite you to sit with us but there's no room."

"Actually.. my date just went to the bathroom."

"I didn't know Lucas was here."

"Cute, Hales.." Nathan winked at her and walked away.

"Sorry about that." Haley turned back to Chase.

"So I take it you guys don't get along?" Chase asked.

"Not at all." Haley replied. It was just her luck, she glanced to the right and saw that Nathan being seated. _Great, now she could watch him and his whore_. Haley watched as a pretty young blonde thing walked over to Nathan's table and sat down. Typical she thought to herself, just another mindless slut, she told herself but then she got a look at her and she was shocked.

It was Lauren Conrad, she went to a private school nearby and graduated last year. She knew about her because she was featured in one of those student of the month things in the local paper. Plus she knew some people who knew her. Lauren, she was an honor's student as well as a member of the girl's softball team. Last thing she heard, she went to UNC with a major in business and marketing. Haley was floored. When Lucas and Nathan were talking about him going out with Lauren again, he didn't mean it was this Lauren.

She couldn't believe it, her mind was spinning. How the hell could she compete with her? Lauren was no skank, she was actually smart, pretty, went to a good school, tall, had great legs and a killer body, any man would be lucky to have her and it turned out that said man was _her_ man. She was the complete opposite her. Haley felt like throwing up. Nathan was actually going out with a good girl, no a great girl. Oh God, no wonder Lucas mentioned something about girlfriend material earlier. She tried to block out everything those two had to say when it came to Nathan's love life. It was a "see no evil, hear no evil" mindset that kept her going these past few weeks.

Chase followed her gaze and also noticed who joined Nathan at his table. He quickly turned back to his food and tried not to look their way. The table was quiet and from the corner of her eye she could see Nathan and Lauren getting along beautifully. _God, can this night get any worse. _Unfortunately it did because Haley kept noticing Chase glancing their way as well. _Great, even my date wants her. _Haley shook her head, this was all sorts of wrong as she noticed Chase trying not to look at her and trying to lean his head away from her.

Their waiter came back, breaking the silence between them.

"Would you care for desert?"

"No", Haley quickly replied.

Chase looked at her curiously for a second and then turned back to the waiter. "Can you give us a menu?"

What was the point of the dessert menu, she clearly knew that Chase was eyeing a certain hot blond nearby.

"Haley, I'm sorry."

Haley was surprised.

"Huh?"

"Look, I know I'm being rude..It's just that Nathan's date.." Chase glanced over to his left. "happens to be my ex."

"What?" Haley turned her head and looked at Lauren. Of course the bitch and the ass were laughing, probably at her.

"You went out with Lauren?"

Chase nodded. "Yeah.. we knew each other from way back you know how it is in these small towns but last summer one of her friends starting going out with one of mine and we hung out more and it kind got to be more than that but then she had to go away to college."

"I thought she went to UNC?"

"Last minute, she got a scholarship to the Academy of Art University in San Francisco."

"Oh."

The waiter came back and dropped of the menu.

"I have to go to the ladies room." She got up quickly. She couldn't stand being at the table any longer. Not only was Lauren dating Nathan, she also dated Chase. For a second there she thought she also went to Stanford, she figured the two schools were close enough in location. She couldn't believe it, what did she ever do to Lauren to deserve this?

She splashed some cold water on her face and took a napkin and dried herself off. She took a deep breath and told herself to just go back out there, get some small dessert and hopefully in no time, she can call this date from hell over.

She got out of the bathroom but instantly bumped into someone.

"You know, we got to stop meeting like this."

She looked up and saw Nathan smirking at her. _And the hits just keep on coming._

"What do you want?" She crossed her arms and took a step back.

"I'm sorry for bumping into you.. oh wait no.. that was you." Nathan replied.

"You're such an ass."

"You run into me and I'm the ass.. how is that even possible?"

"Cuz!" She said heated. "You are!"

"You got quite a tempter there.. I hope you warned poor Chad over there."

"His name is Chase."

"Same thing." He huffed out.

"God, why are you even here.. isn't Lauren waiting for you."

"Have you been spying on me?" Nathan smirked.

"No." She lied. "I happened to glance over and I saw her.. of course I knew who she is, it's a small town .. but hey it's not my fault she has to spend her dinner with you?"

"Am I hearing a little bit of resentment?"

"You're such an ass.. look just stay away from me." She took off and went back to the dining area and sure enough, Lauren was standing over next to Chase. The two were engaged in a lovely conversation. Luckily, Haley grabbed her purse went she went to the bathroom. She couldn't take it any longer and headed straight for the coat check and high tailed out of there.

. . . . .

Lauren hooked her arm around Nathan as they strolled down the street to where Nathan parked his car.

"Well who know Nathan Scott could be such a gentleman?" She teased.

"What.. I'm always a gentleman." Nathan scoffed.

"_Right_." Lauren rolled her eyes and the two laughed. "But thank you for being a wonderful date tonight."

"My pleasure." He smiled at her.

Nathan reached into his pocket and pressed the button on his keys. He went to the passenger side of his SUV and opened the door for Lauren, helping her get in.

"Why thank you, kind sir."

"Any time ma'am." Nathan played along. He got in the driver seat and turned on the engine. He waited a minute to let the engine warm up.

"So how was it running into Charles?"

"Chase." Lauren corrected. "Umm.. it was a little weird.. it's the first time I seen him since .. you know."

Nathan nodded.

"He said something about hanging out sometime while I'm here."

"Oh?" Nathan raised his eyebrow.

Lauren shook her head. "No.. I don't want to think about him and dig up all the past. Tonight, it's about you and me.."

Nathan smiled. "Touche so it's still early, what do you want to do now?"

Lauren bit her tongue, a small smile creeping on her face. "We can go back to my place and get dessert."

Nathan smirked. "Sounds like a plan."

. . . . .

Lucas went for the jump shot but it fell short and hit the rim. The ball rolled over to the grass and he jogged over to pick it up.

"You got to work on your shots if you want us to get through states." Nathan said as he made his way to the River Court, picking up the ball and making a long three.

"Showoff." Lucas replied as he ran over to the ball and picked it back up and threw it back to Nathan.

"You look all spiffy tonight.. did you go out with Lauren again?"

"As a matter of fact, I did."

"Oh yeah.." Lucas grinned. "What you guys do?"

"We went to Il Duce for dinner."

"Il Duce.. I think that's where Haley said she was going on her date with Chase."

Just the mere mention of his name already had Nathan rolling his eyes.

"Yeah.. she was there." Nathan said softly as the two continued to shoot around.

"Oh .. so how was he?"

"Who?"

"Chase."

"Skateboard guy?"

"Who else? I haven't met the dude.. I just want to make sure that he won't you know."

"What?"

"Take advantage of Haley, idiot. You of all people should know what kind of creeps are out there."

"I'm not your spy Luke." Nathan shook his head. God, he could only imagine how Lucas would react if he found out that him and Haley sort of had a past.

"Come on.. there has to be something .. I mean, they weren't like all touchy feely?"

"NO!" Nathan said a little too loudly. That's the last thing he needed to picture in his mind.

"I don't know.. they were having dinner.. that's it." He shrugged.

"Fine.. but how did it go with Lauren?" Lucas stopped dribbling and walked up to Nathan. "What you do after dinner?"

"We went back to her parent's house."

"Really?" Lucas grinned even wider.

"Her suggestion."

"Alright!" Lucas held his hand up so they could share in a high five.

"You're so stupid.. you know it's not like that."

"Why not? Please.. all the girls you've gone out with lately don't even interest you and you just throw them off to the side but Lauren's actually a cool chick.. she's hot, smart.. like I was telling you earlier.. she's totally girlfriend material."

"I'm not looking for a girlfriend."

"Clearly." Lucas replied. He knew his brother wasn't the "settle down" kind of guy. He changed girls like people changed underwear. He hoped one day, Nathan could find a good girl to settle down with.

"And how many times do I have to tell you .. Lauren and I aren't like that."

"Right? Have you seen her, she's hot!"

"She's also my god-sister.. she's practically family.. that's gross… and for you're information we went back to her house where her parents were waiting for us, her mom made dessert." Nathan replied.

"You suck you know that.. you should totally get with her!"

"Whatever man."

"Well, if you don't want her." Lucas grinned.

"Dude, you're my brother.. she's like a sister."

"And?" Lucas threw his hands up.

Nathan narrowed his eyes for a second, maybe this was a good time as ever to test out the waters.

"Yeah.. what if I got with Haley?" Nathan prodded.

Lucas' face fell. "Okay, I get the point."

_Damn it_.

"Besides.. I don't think she's over her ex." He muttered, hoping Lucas didn't notice his mood change.

"A shame." Lucas shook his head and he turned back around and continued to shoot around.

Nathan sighed. He was tired, it had been a long day. When Lauren called him up a few days ago letting him know that she was coming back to town, he didn't think too much of it until he found out who she used to go out with. The gears in his mind started to turn and yeah even though it was a shady thing to do and ruin Haley's date, he was doing Lauren a favor. She clearly wasn't over her ex and apparently Chuck wasn't either. Haley just so happened to get caught up in it.

Haley deserved someone who wasn't hung up on their ex. She deserved someone that wanted her and no one else. Unfortunately for him, he saw himself as that but he couldn't go that route. She deserved better than him, like someone who doesn't go on random dates date just because she was. He had other things to think about, like getting out of Tree Hill and focusing on basketball. Unfortunately for him, it seems his focus keeps coming back to Haley and he wasn't sure how he was going to deal with her going out with the next loser.

To Be Continued . . .


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Behind the Scenes

Thank you all for the reviews. I know some people weren't happy with the last chapter but that was sort of the point, to show how flawed both characters are actually. Keep in mind that Naley has kept this other life secret from their friends. Remember that this Nathan is sort of a cross between when he was a jerk in season 1 and where he was actually a really nice guy in season 2. With all the stuff going on with the "Hills," I decided to use Lauren because I already had it planned for Chase to be in the story. Now, I am not trying to sound mean or anything but I have to ask if my writing is confusing to the timeline of the story? For the last several chapters, it has been in the past, yet I get reviews and private messages all the time asking me to clarify? As I've said before, we'll get to the present, just not yet. This is all past. Now, this chapter is a major turning point, so I hope you enjoy. Now, I have a feeling some people might not like how this chapter goes, but it goes back again to how their relationship is a secret and how both Nathan and Haley are flawed/ trying to fight their own feelings. And that to the outside world, they "hate" each other. Now this chapter was way longer than I planned so I am breaking it up in two, as I post this I am writing the next chapter.

On a side note, I hear that Brian Austin Green might be coming in to join the cast of OTH. I cringed and I instantly missed Chad Michael Murray. I'm sorry but I'd rather have an unknown actor than Brian. For some reason, I feel like he won't even commit to the show, esp since it's filmed in Wilmington, I'm sure he's going to love the move esp since his fiance Megan Fox is one of the sexiest woman out there. I'm trying to stay hopeful, but God please don't let this be true.

So I hope you enjoy and please review!!

. . . .

"I'm going to kill him!" Haley growled at Lucas.

"Believe me, when I see him, I'll do it for you.. but would you calm down?" Lucas tried to plead with her.

"Calm down!? How can I calm down when your idiot jack ass of a brother ruined my date!!" Haley roared as she continued to pace back and forth.

"Half brother." Lucas corrected.

"Yeah.. well maybe the apple doesn't fall far from the tree… no matter which branch it came from." Haley narrowed her eyes.

"Low blow Hales." Lucas tried to feign injury, "besides, I'm sure this was just one big coincidence.. Nathan running into you.. though it didn't work out so well for you." Lucas tried to joke Haley wasn't laughing and continued to glare at him. Haley filled Lucas in on her last date with Chase and from there Lucas filled her in on Nathan's real relationship to Lauren and he wouldn't put it past him if Nathan purposely _coerced_ Lauren to talk to Chase, thus ruining Haley's evening. Nathan did mention to Lucas that Lauren was still getting over an ex, though Nathan never mentioned that the ex was in fact Chase but Lucas figured that Nathan conveniently left that part out because Nathan knew that Lucas would give his brother hell.

"Fine!" Lucas put his hands up in surrender. "But didn't you just tell me that it was for the best anyways.. that and I quote _liked him but didn't like him like him_." Lucas used air quotes for emphasis.

"Don't try to twist my earlier words on me." Haley pointed at him, sure she didn't like Chase that way, but still.

"I know what this is about." Lucas stated.

"What?"

"Nathan." He said simply.

Haley stopped pacing and she felt her heart skipp a beat with just the mere mention of his name. Haley started to panic, _crap, what if he knew_. Was she so obvious? For a second, her mind wondered over the numerous ways this disaster could unfold but then again maybe it would be a good thing if Lucas knew the truth about them. Maybe, he would even give his blessing. No, Haley thought. There'd be no way he would be okay with her and Nathan. She was barely grasping it herself. It was clear after her date with Chase that her feelings for Nathan were more than she first believed. He could be the sweetest guy one minute and the biggest jerk the next but that was him, but that was who Nathan was and she wouldn't have him any other way she. He keeps her at her toes, makes her feel alive, it's one of the things that attracts/annoys Haley to him.

"What about Nathan?" She asked carefully.

"You weren't so worked up before I mentioned Nathan in all this."

"What.. what're you trying to say?" Haley swallowed the lump in her throat, _damn he does know_.

"You're just mad that you let Nathan affect your night." Lucas shook his head. "You two seem to get off pushing each others buttons.. and don't try to deny it because I've seen you do it too." Haley stayed quiet.

"See, I'm right.. it could've been any other guy that brought Lauren there but the fact that it was Nathan.. well it like he won or something.. I swear you two are like little kids."

"Are you calling me childish?"

"No." Lucas was quick to reply. "Just that, it was Nathan."

Haley choose to let it go. She felt relieved. For a second there, she thought that Lucas had caught on but it was clear to her now that she didn't want him to know, that would only lead to more drama, she was sure of it.

"Whatever." She huffed out.

"I mean, let's face it.. Nathan did you a favor?"

"A favor, the only thing Nathan Scott has ever given me is a head ache." _And maybe a _

_small hickey_, she thought to herself but cast those thoughts as quickly as it came to her.

"I mean, at least you know Chase isn't the one."

"The one? Aren't we getting a little ahead of ourselves here."

"Well you know what I mean.. now you can find a guy, you actually like .. I mean let's face it, this Chase guy was a jerk."

"You never met him?" Haley could already tell Lucas was getting into big brother mode and he was probably more than happy to know that Haley's feelings for Chase were more platonic than romantic.

"Well he goes out with you, still hung over about his ex and ditches you to go talk to her, talk about a jerk."

"Well, I sort of caught them talking and I ditched him. He's tried calling me and texting me but I haven't replied back to him."

"Oh well.. doesn't matter." Lucas shrugged, perfectly content that his Haley was in fact still _his_ Haley.

_Men_, Haley shook her head amused.

. . . . . .

"So tutorgirl, who are you taking to Theresa's New Year's party?" Brooke asked as they strolled through the mall. It was post Christmas and Haley had the fun task of exchanging wrong sized gifts. Her siblings forget that she has a chest of an 18 year old not a 12 year old boy. Unfortunately for her, as soon as the word _mall_ was mentioned, Brooke jumped on the chance to go. Haley hoped that this wouldn't be a day long event.

"No one."

"It's New Year's Eve.. how can you not have a date? Theresa is going all out on this party."

Theresa was a fellow cheerleader and was also loaded. She had a huge beach house, even bigger than Nathan's and she was using it to throw her own black and white New Year's bash. It worked out too because this year they were launching fireworks off a barge by the beach and Theresa's beach house had a perfect view of it.

"I know this great guy.." Brooke added and Haley immediately had to put a stop to it.

"No.. no more set ups, I've already went through enough with the last one."

"Well you still haven't called Chase back, he's sorry by the way, you should totally give him another shot."

"I'll think about it." Haley replied, she could already see where this conversation was heading anyway and she wasn't in the mood to argue with Brooke.

"What about you? Is Julian flying over?" Haley asked, hoping to get the spotlight off her.

"No!" Brooke huffed out. "And that's not what I'm even upset about.. I mean I know he has family obligations but he has the nerve to say that I can't bring a date.. can you believe that? As if we're going out?"

Haley nodded, that was a big shady. "No, you're right. So who are you bringing?" Julian and Brooke had a nice summer fling but just because the feelings were still there doesn't mean that Brooke was bound to him, especially since he lived on the other side of the country.

"Felix." Brooke said nonchalantly.

"What?!" Haley's eyes went wide. Last time she checked, Felix was sent to Military School and her and Felix were mostly on and off, well mostly off except when it came to the bedroom.

"Yeah.. he's back in town for the holidays and I figure.. why not.. plus guys in uniform are hot."

"But weren't you guys just _friends with benefits_.. and I use the term friend loosely. Personally, I don't know if I could have that sort of relationship with some guy.""

"Well believe it or not, Felix was actually a good guy.. buried underneath it all.. I mean we did have that whole love/hate thing going on but he always got me so fired up, you know.. so mad .. and I don't know.. I liked it.. it was exciting .. and when we would hook up, it was like exhilarating you know."

Haley's ears perked at this information. "But how could you be with a guy when you know there was nothing more than that could come out of it?"

"Well, sometimes you have to live in the moment Hales, I mean this is the 21st century, sex is whatever you want to make it, society doesn't define it for you.. you do.. and I mean I won't just give it up for any guy.. and with Felix.. as big of an ass he was.. I felt comfortable with him you know.. and did I mention he was hot."

Haley had to chuckle. "Okay Brooke.. I can't imagine sleeping with a guy just cuz _he's hot_." She mocked.

"Well, being hot helps.. but like I was saying, it's a comfort thing. Cuz I've been with hot guys too and I didn't feel comfortable with them at all.. I learned my lesson… if you can find a guy that does that for you, then you're lucky.. and if he's good looking then extra bonus points.. I mean it's not like I didn't know what I was getting myself into with Felix. Sure I maybe have developed a little bit of feelings, I think we both did, cuz lord knows how jealous he got when I hung out with Lucas and even Mouth, but after hooking up with him a few times, I knew it wasn't the same for me. And looking back on it, I realized I was more in lust with Felix than anything, once we finally did it, well it was good, I knew he wasn't the guy for me but look at us now, we kept in touch here and there ever since he left, now we sort of are friends."

Haley nodded, letting Brooke's words sink it. "All I'm saying is that you won't know if you don't try.. and I tried with Felix even though I knew going into it that it wasn't going to be anymore, it helped me realize what I wanted in a guy.. and then I found Julian .. but then now I want to kill Julian cuz he's being an ass." Brooke joked and Haley laughed.

"So the question now Tutorgirl is, are you going to give Chance a shot?

"I'm.. I'm not sure." Haley said hesitantly.

"Well look at it this way, if it works out, great if it doesn't no harm done, it's not like you guys were serious." Haley nodded. "And I'm sure Nathan will freak, either way it's win win." Brooked winked at Haley before going into another store, leaving Haley speechless at the entrance.

Haley stood there as Brooke made a beeline towards a sales rack. She let Brooke's words replay in her head, maybe she had a point, but she wasn't going to dare tell Brooke that.

. . . . .

"I told you not to bring her."

"Huh?" Nathan said, turning around to see Lucas.

"Courtney, I told you not to bring her."

"Whatever." Nathan rolled his eyes.

"You know I'm right.. why else would you have that scowl on your face?" Lucas teased.

"What're you talking about?"

"That look on your face, you look like you want to kill someone." Lucas teased.

_Crap_, Nathan thought to himself. Was he so obvious? He took one more glance at Haley, who looked stunning a simple black strapless dress and then back to his brother.

"You're right, she's a bigger air head than I thought, if I have to hear anymore about how the Gucci bag her dad bought her for Christmas was too small, I'm going to kill myself." Nathan replied, appeasing his brother. Truth be told, he brought Courtney just to show face. He couldn't care less about her but what had him wound up was the fact that Haley was here looking all hot and sexy with loser skaterboy next to her. What the hell happened, he thought she was done with that tool.

"Told you, you should've brought Lauren." Lucas suggested.

"You and blondes.. I swear, just go out with Peyton and get it out of your system." Nathan teased.

"Cute." Lucas replied dryly. "Well, I was just kidding, Haley would freak if she was here, especially with Chase."

"Yeah, what's up with those two?" Nathan tried to sound as casual as he could.

"I don't know, I thought she was over him but I guess she really likes him and invited him here, I met him earlier tonight, he seems like a good enough of a guy."

Nathan's heart sank. Where the hell was his over bearing, protective Lucas? He was supposed to scare away this little punk, not egging him on. Nathan couldn't believe this was happening, this was the worst party ever. If this was any indication of how the upcoming year was going to start then it's going to be 365 more days of _sucks ass_.

"Now, don't do anything tonight!" Lucas warned. Nathan rolled his eyes again, Lucas already gave him an earful already over the whole Lauren thing before.

"I'm not going to do anything to ruin Chad and Haley's evening."

"It's Chase." Lucas corrected.

"Whatever, they both sound gay."

"Hey, I like Chad." Lucas protested.

Nathan gave his brother a look. "You would, wouldn't you?

"Shut up.. besides there's plenty of hot girls here.. I'm sure we can find you someone."

"I don't need help getting girls." Nathan was quick to point out.

"I know that, but quantity isn't quality little bro.. you need to find a girl with substance."

Nathan took another sip of his drink and his eyes wondered back to Haley, letting his brother's words sink in, he couldn't help but think he already found her.

. . . . .

"Oh my God, I love that record, me and Haley actually bought a copy last week." Peyton said as she took a sip of her drink.

"Tracks 8 and 12 are my favorites." Chase said.

"I like 2 and 4." Haley said. The conversation continued to flow and Haley was enjoying her night. Chase and Lucas seemed to get along which she was relieved at and he seemed to be fitting in with her friends. But what she was even happier about was seeing the look Nathan had on his face. She wasn't blind, she saw him from the corner of her eye, staring at her practically all night long. She knew it was wrong to get a thrill from it but that's how she felt. He's the one that went all hot and cold on her, so if he wants to act that way then so be it, Haley reasoned with herself. She took another sip of her champagne and continued to chat.

They mingled for a bit and it wasn't long for the effects of the champagne started to show. Chase went to use the restroom and Haley took the opportunity to go outside and get some fresh air. It was becoming a little stuffy inside and the cool air felt refreshing against her skin. She walked over to the railing and noticed a lone figure down by the beach looking over the water. Haley knew who it was and instead of turning around to go back inside, she walked closer to him. She wobbled down the ramp and quickly realized that it wasn't made for heels. She took her shoes off and carried it in her hand as she walked on the sand and stood next to Nathan.

He had a black suit on, black tie worn loosely around his neck, much like most of the guys here, it was after all a black and white party but Nathan seemed to wear it better than them. It still amazed her how handsome he was, whether it was dressed down in sweats or all dressed up in formal wear, it just didn't matter.

Nathan turned to his side and almost had to do a double take when he saw it was Haley standing next to him. God she looked amazing. Her hair flowed down in gentle curves and her strapless dress hugged her in all the right places. But just as quickly, the scowl returned to his face once he remembered who she was here with and all the reasons why he should stay away.

"Won't your date be looking for you?" He said casually as he continued to stare at the water.

"I wish I could say the same thing to you but I just saw her making out with Matt Jenkins.. you sure know how to pick them."

"Good." He shrugged.

Haley watched his sullen expression, not all affected with the news she just told him, in fact he looked relieved.

"She wasn't my type." He added.

"And what exactly is your type?" She found herself asking.

"Blondes for starters." He turned his head to face her and it was then that he tucked in a stray lock of her blonde hair behind her ears.

"Don't." She said softly as she took a step back and Nathan instantly winced at the loss of contact from her.

"I forgot you have a boyfriend." Nathan mocked as his eyes narrowed.

"He's not my boyfriend."

"Yeah, well Lucas is practically ready for him to lead you down the isle." He huffed.

"What're you talking about?"

"Everyone seems to be so in love with Charles.. I'm sure the wedding will be great… Brooke will make you a hideously tacky dress and Peyton will play her loser emo music." He said sarcastically.

She looked at him for a second, then the realization finally setting in.

"You are jealous."

"I'm not!" He said all too quickly. Haley laughed.

"Yes, you are."

Nathan clenched his fist. He knew she was right and he didn't know what he hated the most at the moment, the fact that he was jealous or the fact that she knew. Everything was so frustrating. He thought he was doing both of them a favor by staying away, he had other things to focus on like basketball but it didn't matter, all his thoughts were of lately was her.

"Please, the last person I would be jealous of is skaterboy over there."

"Then, maybe I should go back to him then."

"Maybe you should." He cried out like a little child.

Haley laughed again, very amused by it all and couldn't help but think how adorable he was when he's jealous.

"And you say you're not jealous." She mused.

"And what if I am?" He asked, not liking this switch in power. He needed to gain some ground because he felt like he was sinking on the sand he was standing on. He took a step closer to her and she equally took a step back, wanting to keep her distance from him.

"Then I'd say too bad."

"Why would you say that?" He stepped closer and she once again took a step back.

"Because you had your chance."

"So I had a chance?"

"No."

"But you just said so."

"You're twisting my words around."

"No, you said I had my chance.. chance for what?"

"Nothing." She stumbled on her words, a slight blush formed around her cheeks. And for a moment, it was enough to let Nathan's walls come down.

"Liar." Nathan smirked and seized the opportunity to swoop in and kiss her. He pressed his lips hard to her and it was a moment later when their lips parted.

"No.. I don't want this." She took a step away from him.

"Keep telling yourself that." He huffed out, "but you and I both know that at the end of the night when skaterboy tries to kiss you goodnight, you'll be thinking of me."

"You cocky son of a bitch!" She slapped him and started to make her way back to the house but instantly winced in pain and fell on her knees. Not a second later, Nathan was at her side.

"What's wrong?" He knelt down next to her.

"Nothing.." She stood up and tried to take another step but winced in pain again.

"Ahhh!"

Nathan was at her side steadying her.

"That doesn't sound like nothing." He said with a cocky grin.

She rolled her eyes. "I think I stepped on something." Haley reluctantly admitted. She lifted up her foot and Nathan inspected the small cut that was on it.

"You must've stepped on some glass… can you walk?"

"Yes.. I'm fine." She said as she took another step and almost fell down from the pain. It was then that Nathan easily lifted her up and started to carry her.

"What're you doing?"

"What do you think?" He replied.

"Theresa's house is this way." Haley pointed to Theresa' beach house.

"Yeah, but your foot is bleeding, you need to sterilize it before it gets infected.. I have a first aid kit at my house."

"Why the hell are we going to your house?"

"My beach house." Nathan pointed out and sure enough, Nathan's house was only a few houses down from Theresa's. Haley nearly forgot too that Nathan was also loaded.

She hated how he affected her. She didn't even struggle with him as they silently made their way into Nathan's house. She longed to feel some sort of unease or disgust but it wouldn't come, she was content, _comfortable_. Something about him carrying him across the threshold felt nice and as he carried her effortlessly, she felt completely safe in his arms.

She thought he was going to set her down in the living room but was surprised to find them making their way up to his bedroom upstairs. He gently laid her down on his bed, while he took off blazer and walked into his bathroom. Haley studied her foot and was relieved to find that the cut wasn't that deep and the bleeding had stopped. She was suddenly very aware that she was alone with Nathan, in his room no less.

Nathan came back with a small first aid kit in hand. He gently took her foot and started to clean out the wound.

"This is probably going to sting." He warned and Haley nodded, bracing herself. Nathan applied the rubbing alcohol and felt Haley flinch. It was then that he got to get a good look at her long curvy legs and it dawned on him as well that they were all alone in his bedroom in an empty house. He sat on the bed with her legs draped over him, she was propped on her elbows as she steadied herself. He tried his best to focus on the task at hand and not let his eyes and hands wander up those gorgeous legs.

The pain from the rubbing alcohol was gone and was replaced by something Haley could only describe as excitement. His hands were calloused from playing ball but his touches were so soft, gentle and caring against her skin. Once again, she longed for some sort uneasiness or apprehension but she felt anything but.

He looked up and turned to her. The tightness in his pants was getting even tighter. Here she was, the girl in the center of all his fantasies on his bed, with the moonlight caressing her face. Beautiful wasn't even an adequate word to describe her at the moment.

He turned away from her and looked back to attending her foot.

"I can't give you anything." He said softly and simply.

"Who said I was asking?" Haley sat up further.

Nathan applied the band aid over the cut and let his hands caress her foot and roam up to her ankles. Haley nearly moaned at his touch.

"You don't want to be with me.. you know I'll only hurt you."

She took a moment to pause and reflect as she studied his handsome face, nothing but the truth and vulnerability coming through. It was clear to her that he was just as scared as she was. But perhaps they could overcome both their fears together.

"I'm not some porcelain doll that needs to be handled with care Nathan, I'm a big girl I can take care of myself, and you're not just some cocky arrogant jock too."

"So you think you know me?" He raised his eyebrow.

"I'd like to think I do." She replied honestly.

"I'd like to think I know you too." He also admitted as he gently caressed her lower calf.

"I think you do." She smiled and he smiled back at her. There was no point in fighting anymore, or holding back, he was getting tired of it and the one way or the other this has to end tonight because he didn't think he wouldn't have the strength again.

"And what if what we have is here and now.. are you okay with that, knowing that there's nothing more for us?" Nathan needed to make sure the lines were drawn. Deep down, he knew he would screw this up somehow despite not wanting to.

This was her chance, to get up and walk away from him. He was giving her an out but instead of walking through that door, she closed it. Her mind was screaming at her and telling her all the reasons why she should get out now but her heart, her heart wasn't listening and neither was her body.

"Then I'd say, why haven't you kissed me yet?" She replied as she moved further up, she was nearly sitting at his lap now. That was his breaking point as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a devastating kiss, one so filled with hunger and passion, it left them both breathless once their lips finally parted.

. . . . .

She watched as the two lone figures on the beach made their way to a house nearby. She knew exactly who's beach house that was.

"Brooke!" She heard her name and quickly turned around.

She found Chase and Lucas walking up to her. Crap, she started to panic. Lord knows, what they would say if they saw Nathan carrying Haley in the direction of his beach house.

"Have you seen Haley?" Chase asked. "It took me forever to find a free bathroom, she said she was going out for air."

"Yeah, where is she?" Lucas asked. "I also can't find Nathan."

Brooke quickly glanced behind her and saw Nathan still carrying Haley.

"Who's there?" Lucas asked as he stepped closer.

"Umm.." Brooke said nervously. "She went home." She blurted out as she walked forward in between Chase and Lucas and looped her arms around theirs. She dragged them both back in the direction of the house and away from the beach.

"What do you mean she went home?" Chase asked.

"You know tutorgirl, can't hold her liquor. I was actually holding her head as she yacked over the railing, but don't worry.. she got into the cab safely. She was just too embarrassed to tell you guys in person." Brooke hoped her little lie would work. _Haley is so going to owe, _she thought to herself.

To Be Continued . . . .


	11. Chapter 11

Behind The Scenes

Chapter 11

Thank you all for your reviews, I am glad that you liked that Naley are finally back on. Now I'm glad to have reached this stage and it'll help us get right into the present. I have more good news, I just purchased a new laptop/netbook so now I'm even more portable than ever and hopefully will be able to right home. I tend to go back home on the weekends, a four hour drive, and now if I take the bus or train, I have something to type on.

On another note, I'm so glad to hear that Brian Austin Green will not join OTH. I just felt like he would've taken the focus off the main characters. As a guest, I can see it but as a permanent case member, I don't know.

Now, there's a little reveal in this chapter so I just want to reiterate the title of this story is called _Behind the Scenes_, you'll know what I mean. The first part of this chapter will take place where we left Naley last chapter. But we shall also get to see the present. The original chapter was so long that I decided to cut it down yet again. I debated whether or not to post the whole thing as one or break it up again but I ultimately decided to just break it apart. I only have one more scene to write up for the next chapter so I hope to update soon, I know your reviews will help, lol. I've been worried with the dip in feedback, just cuz your responses really do help get my mind going and write so please share your thoughts and I plan to update real soon.

Enjoy, please review!

. . . .

_Flashback – New Year's Party (continued from last chapter)_

"_Then I'd say, why haven't you kissed me yet?"_

_She replied as she moved further up, she was nearly sitting on his lap now. That was his breaking point as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a devastating kiss, one so filled with hunger and passion, it left them both breathless once their lips finally parted._

_They stared into each other's eyes for a second before once again devouring each other's mouth. Haley had moved up from his lap and was now straddling him. Her hands roamed through his dark hair while his held her steady against her waist. She was grinding against his hips and he moaned into her mouth as his pants got even tighter. There was no way in hell she couldn't feel that, he was hard as a rock by this point. _

_Nathan took a hold of her and gently turned them over, so now he was on top of her. One hand remained on her waist, the other cupped her face. Haley's hands wandered over to his back, going in underneath his white dress shirt. It didn't take much longer for Nathan's shirt to come completely off. Haley sucked in air as she gasped at the sight of him. He was too sexy for his own good and the throbbing between her thighs could attest to that. He placed heated kisses on her neck, traveling down to just above her breasts. His hands gripped her thigh and he found it heading dangerously north. _

_His head landed above her cleavage and it was taking all his willpower not to rip her dress right off of her. _

"_God, you're so beautiful." He murmured against her skin as he made his way back up to her lips. One more second down there and he was sure his mouth would be all over her hardened nipples._

"_I can't stop." He said breathlessly as her finger nails dug into his back. He growled as he claimed her lips once more, while his hand hiked her skirt up even more._

_She cupped his face now, pulling him off her so she could take a real good look at him. _

_He saw the worried look on her face and wondered if he had gone too far _again. _Of course he did, what else is new. It took all of his strength but he looked away from her, _

"_Maybe we should get going." He said softly._

_He was about to get up off of her when she held his face firm and forced him to look back at her. Years from now, she would look back and say maybe the alcohol had something to do with it, or that she was getting carried away in the moment but she knew in her heart of hearts that this was what she wanted. She was through with playing safe and not living in the moment. _

"_I'm not ready to leave yet." She said softly and that was all Nathan needed as he claimed her lips once more. _

_There was no stopping him now as he cupped her breasts, enjoying how they fit perfectly against his palms. Then his hands reached underneath her as they stumbled to find the zipper. She arched herself upwards to give him more access, he smirked to himself, she wanted this just as bad as he did. Whatever happened next, Nathan could rest assured that he gave her an out, that he was willing to walk away from this if that's what she wanted. But it wasn't and he unzipped her and eagerly moved the dress down. He practically tore the clasp of her bra, as he quickly threw the offensive item across the room. _

_He looked down at her, her breasts in full view to him now. They were even more incredible than he ever dreamed of. He smirked even wider as he dove down, sucking on her hardened nipples, hungrily switching back and forth between each breast. Haley squirmed underneath him, which Nathan seemed to enjoy and it only fueled him more. She never felt so turned on in her life, Nathan's tongue was doing wonders for her. This was something completely new and exciting, which was evident in the way she rubbed her thighs together in an attempt to control her self. _

_Her hands moved down across the muscles of his back and landed on his ass, enjoying the feel of the hard muscle through his trousers. Once he felt her hands on his waist, he sat up, he took her hands in his as he led them to the buttons on his pants. He sucked in his breath as her small hands made work on his pants. _

_He helped her remove it and pretty soon he got up and tossed his pants and boxers away. Haley gasped again as she took in the full site of him. Her eyes went wide and for once the rumors were _true. _Nathan grinned to himself as he saw Haley leer at him, he moved back on top of the bed and finished removing Haley's dress. _

"_Nathan.." Haley gasped as his hands flirted with the waistband of her silk panties. He could tell that she was absolutely drenched and the fact that he had caused it only spurred him on further. He was afraid of touching himself because he might just go right there and then. _

_He tossed them aside and dove his lips back to her mouth, their bodies writhing against each other. He felt like he could go any second as his erection rubbed up against her thigh. Nathan took one of his hands between them as he started to rub against her wet folds._

"_Ahh!" Haley moaned as she buckled against him. _

"_You like that?" He kissed her ear. _

"_Yes, Nathan! Please don't stop!" She begged, she never felt anything this good in her life and she didn't want it to end. She was literally putty in his hands. _

_Nathan did as she wished as his soaked fingers dove deeper into her. She moaned again, even louder and it only caused Nathan to leak even more._

"_Nathan!" She screamed again as she felt herself slip over the edge. "Ahh!" She cried out as her body violently shook underneath his. _

_That was by far the hottest thing he had ever witnessed. Nothing in all his thoughts and fantasies could've ever prepared him for the real thing. He placed soft kisses on her neck and cheek as she slowly came back down. _

"_Nathan." She moaned again as her lips came back crashing into his. She kissed him hard, her hands against his chest, enjoying the feel of his sculpted frame. Nathan placed his hand over hers as he led them down his abs and down the "V" of his hips. She grabbed a hold of his erection and Nathan moaned into her mouth. She always wondered how it would be like, how it would feel nothing in her mind ever came close to the reality. _

"_Fuck, Hales.." He said against his ear as he tried his best not to shoot all over her. Her tiny hand was making quick work on his long shaft and he knew he wouldn't be able to last that long. He rose up on his knees to give her better access and she stroked him even faster. _

"_God.. yes Hales.." He gnarled into her ear as his breathing became erratic. _

"_Haley!" He grunted and he thrust his hips forward as his sweet release finally came._

_. . . . ._

"_Are you sure she's okay?" Lucas asked again. _

"_Yes, Luke for the last time she is." Brooke huffed. Distracting Chase was easy, there were a few of Chase's friends here and Brooke conveniently led him to them. Lucas on the other hand was another problem. _

"_Maybe, I should go, I'm getting bored anyway. These parties suck with out a date." _

"_Ha.. you're telling me." Brooke said sarcastically._

"_What happened to Felix? I thought Haley mentioned that you were taking him here?"_

"_No." Brooke laughed nervously. "He couldn't make it."_

"_Oh, I'm sorry." Lucas replied apologetically._

"_Don't worry about it." Brooke replied, truth be told, she was never taking Felix, hell she didn't even know where Felix was. She knew it was wrong to lie to Haley, but at the end, it paid off, at least she hoped it did. She finally caught Nathan and Haley together tonight and her suspicions about them had been right all along. She watched from a distance as Nathan kissed Haley, only to have Haley pull away. But something must've happened because the next thing she saw was Haley on the ground and then Nathan lifting her up. She just hoped that playing cupid doesn't end up biting her in the ass._

"_But since we're both dateless tonight, we might as well make the most of it." Brooke walked over to the bar and grabbed two drinks for each of them._

_Lucas gladly took the drink and the two toasted. "I'll drink to that."_

_. . . . ._

_If it was even possible, their hunger for each other only grew. Their hands were all over each other as their mouths devoured each other. He had just came, but he was still as hard as ever. He felt Haley's wetness and knew there was only one thing left to do to satisfy them both. _

_He reluctantly sat up and reached for his nightstand, hoping he had left some condoms there, but was disappointed that there was none there. _

"_It's okay." She whispered into his ear. "I'm good."_

_Nathan looked at her, his eyes curious at her statement. She gave him a pointed look and then he finally understood._

"_You.. you are?"_

"_Yeah." She blushed. "I figured with Chase tonight, I'd be prepared."_

"_What?" Nathan clenched his teeth, the thought of her with another guy especially a punk like Chase Adams was ripping him apart. She noticed his serious angry expression and giggled. Nathan was definitely hot when he was jealous. Her mom had long given her the talk of the _birds and the bees_ way before she even had her first lesson and tonight Haley thanked her mom's insistence to going on the pill despite her protests that she wasn't sexually active. _

"_Oh, you think you're so funny." He reached for her sides and started tickling her. She was laughing hysterically but Nathan continued his assault._

"_Nathan!! Stop!" She begged. He finally let her go and positioned himself on top of her, his face mere inches from hers. _

_Tucking in another stand of loose hair behind her ear, "Do you really want me to stop?" He said softly. He knew she never done this before and although being her first turned him on incredibly, he also didn't want to be her first regret. She looked into his deep blue eyes and felt herself lost in them. She couldn't even form the words, she wanted him so much. She answered him with a kiss, a kiss that told him that she wanted more. _

"_This'll probably hurt." He murmured against her lips. Nathan wasn't an idiot, he knew he could tear her up if he wasn't careful. She nodded as she held on to his shoulders to brace herself. She opened her legs wider and Nathan positioned himself at her entrance. He gripped her waist as he slowly moved forward._

"_Ahh!" Haley gasped as she felt him go in deeper. It hurt, hurt more than she ever thought it could but there was also this feeling, this burning in the pit of her stomach that never wanted this feeling to end._

"_Nathan !" She pleaded and he placed his lips back onto her. He slowly pushed forward inch by inch but once he was in all the way, he held his waist firm, wanting her to get adjusted. He made small circular motions, letting her folds get used to the intrusion and opening it up for him. He never felt anything more incredible in his life and he wanted nothing more but to give it to her hard and fast but he wanted something even more, for her to enjoy it as much as he would. _

_Pretty soon, Nathan had developed a steady rhythm and Haley's cries of pain soon turned into pleasure. _

"_Nathan!" She gasped as she squirmed underneath him. Her body was on fire and she felt like she could go any minute. She even started to rise her hips to match his thrusts. This only spurred Nathan further as he picked up the pace. She gripped his back tighter and knew she was close. _

"_Open your eyes." He commanded as he lowered his face onto hers. He rested his forehead against hers as he pumped away. Meeting his blue orbs, she lost herself completely as her whole body shook and she screamed Nathan's name. _

_It was an explosion of pent up pleasure that Haley had never felt before. And as Haley went, so did Nathan. She felt him throb inside her and it only help bring about another round of pleasure. She couldn't believe this was happening but she didn't care and she never wanted this feeling of pleasure to ever end. The room, the house, everything faded around them as bursts of light and color surrounded them, the two young lovers in their own world that neither noticed the fireworks going off outside and the start of a very _new_ year._

. . . .

Present

She knocked on the red door and a second later it opened.

"What're you doing here?" He said coldy.

"You're mad I get it."

"You knew.. you knew this whole time!"

"Luke please!"

"No, Brooke.. I can't believe you could actually keep something like this from me."

"Luke.. it wasn't my secret to tell."

"Now you can keep a secret." He said sarcastically.

"Lucas Scott!" Brooke raised his voice.

"Sorry.. I didn't mean it .. I'm just surprised by it all .. I still am."

"Have you talked to them?"

"Yeah.. they came by here earlier.. Nathan.. Nathan said he loves her." Lucas shook his head in disbelief.

Brooke didn't seem surprised. "I could've told you that."

"Well, from the looks of it, Haley was surprised by it."

"Oh I can imagine, she isn't always the sharpest tool in the shed."

"So what else happened?"

"Nathan and I were arguing, he blurted out that he loves Haley, Haley comes in.. Nathan bolts out .. but Haley finally talked, she came clean with everything."

"Everything?

"Eww.. no not everything."

"Luke, I hope you're not mad at them, I know they wanted to tell you.. they were just scared."

"At this point, I don't know what to feel." He said honestly. "How .. how long have you known?"

"I've suspected something .. you remember?" Brooke asked and Lucas nodded. He couldn't believe that Brooke was right all along. "But it wasn't actually confirmed until New Year's."

Lucas paused for a second as he remembered that night and then it dawned on him.

"That's why Haley was _sick_ .. it was you covering for her."

Brooke nodded her head.

More events of that night started to come back to him. "No wonder you wanted to keep me at the party and not go to Haley's.. you kept giving me drinks.."

"I didn't want you to go looking for them." Brooke reluctantly admitted.

"And I guess sleeping with me that night too was part of the plan?" Lucas' voice was thick with emotion and hurt.

"Luke, it wasn't .."

"Brooke.. save it .. I've already had enough lies and revelations in the past 24 hours to last a lifetime."

"Luke!"

Lucas raised his hands.

"Don't .. I can't do this now." He shook his head as he closed the door on her.

Lucas leaned his head back against the door and felt like hitting his head against it. He's been trying to so hard to keep it together while everything around him seems to be falling apart. To have Brooke in only Nathan and Haley's dirty little secret felt like adding salt to the wound. But looking back over the past months, he started to see things more clearly and that perhaps it was there this whole time but he never noticed it.

He found it unnerving how the people closest to him could keep such secrets from him. He started to feel sick, did they not trust him, did they not care? What did he do that was so bad for him to be left out in the dark like this? He could understand why they would give it a secret but after everything he just found out, he didn't know what to think about anymore. He thought he knew Brooke, Haley and Nathan pretty well but he started to realize if he even knew them at all.

Only a select few got a glimpse to the real Nathan Scott behind the basketball star and Lucas thought he was one of them. After everything that happened today, it was becoming clear to Lucas that Nathan was actually in love with Haley, at the very least Nathan thinks he is in love with her. Despite still being sore at Haley, he still wanted to protect her, to make sure she's okay. He meant what he told Nathan earlier that he should stay away from Haley.

When Nathan was in need, Lucas was there for him. Brooke wasn't the only one to keep Nathan's secret. Lucas himself was also guilty for lying and covering up for Nathan. Lucas knows all too well that Nathan's ability to keep things from people can lead to hurting those around him and he just hoped for Haley's sake that Nathan didn't have any more skeletons in the closet.

_To Be Continued . . . _


	12. Chapter 12

Behind the Scenes

Chapter 12

Thank you all for the feedback. Your reviews really do help me stay motivated and I also love hearing what you think has happened, how things will happen, I basically have this story mapped out but all the details aren't there and I consider what the readers have to say, so please leave a comment. I didn't want to wait anymore for Naley to finally hook up, it was about time in this AU and I like hearing what you guys thought about Lucas' reaction. Now, I know the ending was a little ominous and the secret that Nathan and Lucas share will definitely be a major turning point in this story. Like I said, keep in mind the name of the story. What the secret is, you'll find out, hehe. The two timelines, present and past are also shown in this chapter and each takes place after the last chapter. I hope I don't confuse any one but the scenes in the past take place at New Year's and then jumps a month later, but there is a small scene that's a flashback within the flashback. But as far as the sex tape, it hasn't been disclosed in the past yet.

So here's the next chapter, I hope you enjoy and please review!!

_Flashback – New Year's Day_

Haley's eyes fluttered open and she could tell it was still early because the sun was only starting to rise. It was then that she was acutely aware that her back was pressed up against something warm and firm, that she was not in her room and definitely not wearing any clothes.

The night starting coming back to her and all the memories and feelings started coming back to her. This wasn't how she imagined how her first time would be, she thought she'd be older, in love and married but life has a way of changing things. She longed to feel some sort of repulsion but it didn't come. She couldn't deny that it was one of the best nights of her life. The way Nathan made her feel, the things he did to her, it was amazing to put it mildly.

_But now it was a new day, a new year and lord only knows what the repercussions of last night will have. She completely forgot about Chase, no doubt that he and Lucas would be looking for her, but what would she say, what would she do? She was really getting worried now. Then there was Nathan, how was she going to deal with him. It was clear last night that they were living in the moment, but now that moment has passed. She really hated sometimes how she over thinks things. _

_She slowly escaped from Nathan's grasp and wrapped a sheet around her nude form. She slowly made her way around the dimly lit room to gather her things. She needed to get out of here and fast. The thought of people finding out about this had her panicking. She grabbed her phone and was surprised to only find two text messages, the first one was from Chase:_

I hope you feel better, I'll give you a call later, Happy New Year!

_And another one from Lucas:_

I always knew you can't hold your liquor, feel better and don't forger New Year's Dinner at my place tonight.

_Haley was confused, how much did she drink last night? The last thing she remembered saying to Chase was that she needed to go outside for air, but did she really say more? Maybe she did, why else would they leave those text messages. It was clear that no one was looking for her. Still, she felt like she needed to get out of there. _

_She turned around to look at Nathan. He looked so peaceful and with his hair slightly ruffled, he looked so hot. He shifted in the bed and gave Haley a clear view of his assets. She started to feel very hot and she swallowed a lump in her throat. Could she really just leave him? _

_.. . . ._

_Nathan, still half asleep, hugged his pillow tighter. It was then that he realized that this was a pillow and not in fact Haley. He shot up from bed and looked around only to find himself alone in his bedroom. He felt his inside turn into knots as he realized that Haley did leave him. It hurt, hurt more than he thought it would. Karma was a bitch. It's not like he hadn't done the same thing to random girls. He was such a fool, he thought to himself. _

_He knew he wasn't her keeper but he thought they had an understanding, that she would have at least the decency to tell him that she was going. He rubbed his eyes, seriously what was this girl doing to him._

_He fell back on his bed and closed his eyes in an effort to calm his anger and nerves. But all he saw was Haley. He could still smell her, feel her soft skin, and hear how she screamed his name all night long. He thought he had great sex before but last night was nothing he had ever felt his whole life. It was more but he didn't quite figure out a word for it just yet. _

_He didn't want to get up, just lay here and hopefully fall back asleep and pray that he'd wake up from this nightmare. He shot up from bed again, when he heard a sound downstairs. He quickly got up and grabbed his boxers and rushed down the stairs. _

_All his anger and hurt all dissipated when he saw Haley in the kitchen. She wore his white dress shirt and she was currently tiptoeing trying to get the sugar from the top cabinet. The shirt hiked up a little bit, giving him a nice view of her thighs which had his heart racing. He thought she looked sexy before but nothing was more attractive than seeing her in his clothes._

_He slowly made his way behind her and grabbed the sugar for her. She was startled at first but soon relaxed when she realized it was Nathan. She turned around to find his devastatingly handsome face staring down at her. _

"_Thanks." She said softly. _

"_You're welcome.. what're you doing?"_

"_Making some coffee."_

"_Oh." He stepped aside as Haley went to the coffee maker to turn it on._

"_Are you okay?" She asked._

"_I'm fine." He shook his head. "I .. I thought you left." He said softly. _

_She caressed his cheek and placed a chaste kiss on it. _

"_I'm not going anywhere." _

_Nathan's heart melted and he wanted nothing more than to kiss her at that moment but he told himself to restrain himself. It was clear to him now that his emotions with Haley were haywire, one minute he went from furious to happy. He dealt with this before by pulling away from Haley but after their night together, there was no way he could stay away from her. So the best thing for him to relax and keep cool. They may have gone all the way last night but whatever their relationship was.. is .. still needed to be dealt with but neither wanted to go that route just yet. For now they were content with the here and now. _

_He gave her a small smile and gently brushed his hand against her cheek. It was a small but affectionate gesture, one that left Haley with a huge smile. Nathan always did leave her wanting more. She was so glad she stayed, who knows what she would've missed out on. She saw him open the fridge and bend down to inspect what was inside while she had a good view of his rear. Haley sighed and bit her lower lip. _Definitely glad I stayed.

_Nathan saw that they had milk, which had a good two days before the expiration date. One of his parents' must've been here recently. He took the milk out as well as a box of cereal. _

"_I only have Captain Crunch." Nathan said._

"_Sounds good.. the coffee should be ready soon." Haley turned to look at him but found him staring at her. He couldn't stop even if he tried. She looked down and forgot she was wearing his shirt. _

"_I hope you don't mind." She tugged at the sleeves. _

"_It's looks good on you." He replied honestly, as he stepped closer to her and ran his finger through her hair. _

"_And Haley.. good morning." He flashed her a wide smile._

_She blushed and was sure she was red as a tomato at this point. , "Good morning." She choked out and Nathan couldn't hold it any longer as he slowly reached out and kissed her. _

_The moment was ruined though a second later when the front door slammed shut. Both Nathan and Haley turned to see who was there, panic began to set in for both of them. _

Brooke came walking into the kitchen a second later, her hair slightly ruffled and her make up worn but still dressed from last night. She watched as Nathan and Haley separated from their embrace.

_She gave the two a knowing grin, "You two so owe me!"_

_. . . . _

_It was a month later and Nathan currently had Haley held up inside the janitor's closet at school. _

"_Nathan stop!" Haley warned as he left hot kisses on her neck and his hand hiked up her skirt and grabbed the back of her thighs. _

"_I can't help it.. you look so sexy." He murmured against her skin. Normally she didn't mind when her and Nathan would hook up, in fact she looked forward to it but this was not the place and certainly not the time. She needed to develop some restraints when it came to him. _

"_Nathan!" She finally pushed him off her. "I have to get to class soon and so do you!" She warned._

_Nathan rolled his eyes. "Fine!" He held his hand up in defeat. _

"_Thank you." Haley smiled at him and his heart skipped a beat. He really couldn't get enough of her. The last month, they've managed to sneak around, just the two of them. Something about keeping their relationship, whatever it was, a secret was thrilling and exciting to them both._

"_What?" Nathan asked as he saw Haley with an amused grin._

"_Come here.. you're tie is all messed." Haley reached out for his tie and went about readjusting it. Tonight the Raven's had a game, which meant that he and the other guys on the team had to dress formal at school, that meant pants, shirt and tie. _

"_So will you be cheering for me tonight?" Nathan grinned._

"_I have to cheer for everyone.. just not you." She answered back. She felt his hand try to encircle his waist. _

"_Don't try it!" She warned again and she couldn't help but laugh when she saw Nathan pout. _

"_I can't help it.. you looking so hot in that cheerleading outfit.. remind me to thank Brooke." _

_Haley rolled her eyes. "I can't believe she talked me into it." _

_.. Flashback .. 3 days ago …_

" _I just had a great idea!" Brooke came waltzing into Haley's room while she was doing her homework._

" _Does it involve trigonometry?"_

" _I don't know what that is so I doubt it… but get this, you are gonna be a cheerleader!!" Brooke says overjoyed. _

" _What?!"_

" _I know, it's sudden, right?"_

" _Thanks, but I'll pass."_

" _Come on. You're my friend. You're supposed to have my back. I mean it's not like I'm doing you a huge favor by lying to everyone that I don't know about you and Nathan."_

"_Brooke! I can't believe you're trying to blackmail me!" Haley couldn't believe it._

"_Fine.. but please Haley!"_

" _I don't understand why you want me on the squad so bad." _

" _That bitch Rachel girl, she's stealing my life. She's trying to take all the hot guys at school and my entire squad has a girl-crush on her.. Basically, if you do not cheer, I'm screwed!"_

"_Brooke, I have a lot going on in my life right now.. I got my essay to write for essay for Stanford and send in my recommend letters to Duke.." _

"_Duke?" Brooke questioned._

Crap! "_I meant Stanford."_

"_No.. you're applying to Duke.. I didn't know you wanted to go there,"_

"_I don't."_

"_Right.. I mean it's not like that's where Nathan is going to go to school.. oh wait it is!"_

"_Ahh.. I don't know what to do.. it's stupid.. I know this thing with me and Nathan isn't going to last.. we're just having.. fun."_

"_Well, you've been having a lot of _fun_ this past month."_

"_Brooke!" Haley warned._

"_What just an observation? I mean so what, you apply to Duke, it's not like you're a shoe in for Stanford."_

"_Actually.. you're right.. why should I be worried .. I mean Stanford isn't a guaranteed thing.. I need back ups.. I mean I already had Duke as one of my back ups.. no biggie.. just cuz Nathan is going there doesn't mean anything .. I mean Lucas was thinking of going there too or UNC.. I'll be close to Lucas if I go to Duke." Haley smiled. _

"_Gee.. Yeah, great, we've solved your problem. Can we please get back to mine!?" Brooke whined, "Gimme an 'H'!" Brooke raised her hands. _

"_I can't!"_

"_You can, and besides, you'll get to be with Nathan. You'd be with him all the time; pep rallies, and away games.."_

"_I know, I..I get it. I just… I think that if I join the cheerleading squad, Nathan would see it as some, like, pathetic attempt to be closer to him."_

"_That's funny. It seems to me like worrying about what Nathan thinks is pathetic is actually pretty pathetic. Forget about Nathan. Why don't you do what you want for once?"_

_Haley put on a smile and found irony in Brooke's words because when it came to Nathan,, she was doing what she wanted for once. _

"_OK, I will, no thanks!"_

"_Let me rephrase that; why don't you just do what I want for once?"_

_Haley laughs._

"_Come on!"_

"_Sorry Brooke."_

"_Oh, did I mention that Nathan's very often shirtless at practice?"_

_Haley's eyes shot up._

"_You know, hot, sweaty and… bulging in all the right places."_

_Brooke gets up and shrugs before taking off. "All the girls notice… ok see ya!" _

_Haley grabs her pillow and throws it towards Brooke._

_. . . . End Flashback. . . . ._

"_Are you okay? I thought you'd be happy.. you guys won tonight?" Haley asked as they walked down the empty streets back to his house. It wasn't easy trying to get away from their friends tonight but they managed as they did before. Haley was happy Brooke was there to help them, she really hated lying to everyone but she wasn't ready for them to face the world just yet. _

"_I played like crap tonight."_

"_What.. you did great?"_

"_I'd hardly call 8 points and 3 assists a stellar night." Nathan grumbled._

"_Well it's still 8 points we wouldn't have had with out you." Haley tried to cheer him up._

"_Yeah.. I guess." He shrugged. "I don't know.. lately I feel as if my game has been off.. I was already winded by the time the second half started." Nathan said in frustration._

_Haley started to feel guilty. Their late night rendezvous' didn't come with a price. She often found herself yawning and nearly dozing off in school. _

"_I'm sorry." Haley looked down._

"_No.. no.. it's not your fault .. believe me." Nathan tried to soothe her. "You.. you help me get through do the game?"_

"_I do?"_

"_Yeah.. knowing that your out there, cheering me on.. checking me out.. it's kind of hot." Nathan wiggled his eyes and wrapped his arm around her waist._

_She laughed. "You don't seem so winded now huh?"_

"_No ma'am." He smirked back. "Although my back is a little sore." He teased._

"_Well you're lucky cuz I happen to give the best massages." Haley replied._

"_Oh really?" Nathan raised his eyebrows, his pants tightening. _

_Haley blushed. Nathan smirked, he loved getting Haley riled up. He grab a hold of both of her hands and pulled her into him, giving her a slow and gentle kiss. _

"_Come on.. let's see what those hands of your's could go." Nathan wiggled his eyebrows and Haley just laughed. _

Present . . . .

KNOCK KNOCK

"Go away!" Haley called out.

Ignoring her friend, Brooke opened the door anyway.

"Oh Honey, what's wrong?" Brooke asked as she immediately went to Haley's side. Haley was lying on her bed, her face buried against the pillow while she aimlessly stared at the rain falling outside, while her own tears fell.

"I talked to Lucas.. he told me what happened." Brooke said.

"Great.. Lucas I forgot about him... I told him everything.."

"How'd he take it?"

"He didn't yell or anything but I could tell he was disappointed in me."

"I know.. he's a little pissed off at me too."

"I deserve it."

"Haley.. please stop being so hard on yourself… now I know you being with upset has nothing to do with Lucas.. I heard Nathan went to see him.. how he dropped the L-bomb."

"Whatever.. it was all a lie.. he doesn't love me.. God I'm such a fool.. he only said that so he could show face to Lucas."

"Haley.. I don't believe that for a second."

"Whatever.. it's true .. he told me himself.. I guess I can throw this away." Haley flung a piece of paper to Brooke.

Brooke took the crumpled letter and read what is said.

"Oh my God Haley! A full ride to Duke!"

"I was going to tell Nathan.. we were actually going to stop sneaking around.. God.. I was going to turn down Stanford for him.. I was such an idiot! "

"Haley, listen to me.. I've seen the way he looks at you.. the way he's been these past months.. there is no way in hell that boy does not love you.. he's probably scared to admit it.. I mean look how you guys have been, in private you're all over each other.. in public you fight.. you guys don't exactly have the normal relationship here."

"Thank you for being there Brooke.. but .. I .. I don't know.. I just want some time alone if you don't mind."

"Okay.. I understand.. just know that I'm here for you okay?"

"Thanks Brooke.. for .. for everything."

"You're welcome.. and I'll come by later so we could all get ready for tonight."

"Oh God prom, do I have to go? I'm pretty sure Lucas doesn't want to go with me.. and I can't even handle seeing Nathan now."

"Hales.. it's senior prom and you're going.. just take a nap and relax.. and I'll see you later."

Brooke closed the door behind her, leaving no room for argument. She left Haley's house and jumped in her car, she was so going to kick Nathan's ass.

. . . . .

Lucas needed to get out of the house. He felt like the walls were caving in on him. When his mom said she needed some prescriptions picked up, he gladly offered to get them for her. Once he left the house, he started to calm down. He thought that maybe he should see Haley again. It was their senior prom tonight and technically they were still going together. She at least told him what happened, that had to count for something. Either way, they needed to deal with it before tonight, there was no way they should go to prom with all this drama hanging around them.

Lucas got out of the pharmacy and turned the corner to cut through the alley to get to his car. Just then, he saw a tall dark man in a gray suit come out from the rear door.

"Well well.. if it isn't Lucas Scott .. captain of this year's State Championship team… I thought I saw you inside the store."

Lucas laughed nervously. "Umm.. co-captain.. actually."

"That's right… and hoe about the captain .. How is Nathan doing?"

"He's .. he's okay."

"Look Lucas.. you know I did him a favor .. you guys wouldn't be State Champion if I hadn't…"

"Yeah I know.. and thanks.. thanks for everything." Lucas stumbled out, he should've known he was going to run into _him_.

"Lucas, look.. my boss is getting suspicious and I can only cover up for so long .. I need that money." He said seriously.

Lucas sighed, he thought his brother took care of it already. "Don't worry.. I'll talk to him.. you'll get your money."

"Good.. by the way, I saw in yesterday's paper that Nathan was still going to Duke on a basketball scholarship."

Lucas nodded, he also thought Nathan took care of that too. I guess he was too busy sleeping with his best friend to take care of his own business, Lucas told himself.

"If he knows what's good for him, you know that can't happen." He warned.

"I know.. don't worry .. like I said, I'll .. I'll talk to him."

The man came up to Lucas and padded him in the shoulder.

"Good man Lucas.. you're a good brother." He smiled at the young man.

"Yeah." Lucas nodded.

"I'll be seeing you around Luke."

"Yeah.. see you around Daunte."

To Be Continued . . . .


	13. Chapter 13

Behind The Scenes

Chapter 13

Thank you all for your reviews! They make my day and it makes me happy to know that people are enjoying what I'm writing, so please if you like it, please drop a line. I'm sorry for the delay, I had a ton of birthdays plus I'm in the process of moving. Now, I know you guys are curious as to what Daunte is doing in this story, but trust that I have some tricks up my sleeve. I won't say more because I don't want to go give anything away. Now I'm entering some of the good stuff in the story where we have Naley being all secretive and sneaking around. This chapter really helps bridge the gap between the past and present as you will read. There are also little reveals in this chapter, so I hope you enjoy and please review!!

. . . . .

_Flashback_

"_With the regular season ending soon, how do you feel of your team's chances are in the play offs?"_

"_I think we have a good chance this year." Nathan said proudly._

"_You sound pretty confident in that, can we expect the Ravens to reach all the way into the Semi's again?"_

"_I have no doubt in my mind we can, last year we came so close to making it to the states and winning our division .. it was a heart breaking lost but I feel that this year's team is as good if not better than last year."_

"_But last year you guys were undefeated until your last game of course, how do you respond to your critics who doubt the Ravens could go that far again this year?"_

"_Yes, we had some tough losses this season and if you look at last year, there were some games we could've lost .. sometimes it's just luck and we played some really great teams this year and you can't win them all.. I have faith in myself and my other teammates that we can go all the way .. the regular season is basically over now.. whether we win or lose the next game, we're still making play offs so those losses don't matter anymore, we can only focus on the next game and learn from our past mistakes."_

"_Coming into the post season, what strategies has Coach Durham provided to you guys?"_

"_Score and win." Nathan laughed. "I mean post season is more pressure and playing is a little more aggressive so we have to step up to.. other than that, we haven't really done anything different."_

"_The past few games, I've noticed a drop in your scoring percentage.. obviously you are Captain and lead scorer of the Ravens but was this part of the strategy, so that the rest of the team can step up and give you support?"_

_Nathan paused for a second before answering and looking back into the video camera. "I wouldn't call it intentional per say .. I mean I personally have not had some of my best games recently, but I'm thankful for my teammates for stepping it up and scoring when we need to. Besides, the other teams know me and they know I can take the ball to the hole .. I've been pretty well defended lately but if I see an open man, I'm going to give it to him.. as Coach would say.. there is no _I_ in team. But I see this as a good thing, we need to be a well balanced, there are four other guys out there besides me."_

"_Like your brother for instance?"_

"_Yes.. Lucas has definitely improved his game from last season."_

"_I seem to recall you two always bumping heads last season."_

_Nathan laughs. "Yeah .. it took some time but we've put it behind us and tried to focus is on the game."_

"_Any particular reason for this turn around? It was well known in town that you two did not get along, now you guys seem to be always hanging around."_

_Nathan shifted in his seat uncomfortably. "I mean we umm.. just hung out more and spent the summer together at basketball camp.. along the way we just put all that stuff behind us."_

"_So Nathan, before we end, this is senior year and prom is fast approaching, do you have a date so far?"_

"_Why? Are you asking Mouth?" Nathan raised his eyebrow. "Sorry man.. you're not my type." Nathan deadpanned._

_Mouth leaned over and his pause on the video camera. _

"_Ok maybe, I asked the wrong question.. can we do it again?"_

"_Alright." Nathan responded with a slight laugh._

_Mouth leaned over again and hit record. _

"_So Nathan before we end, is there anything else you like to do besides school and basketball?_

"_Um.. basketball pretty much controls my life right now.. other than that I like to go out and have fun with my friends.. I guess." _

"_Does this fun have anything to do with a certain red head named Rachel Gatina?"_

_Nathan nearly choked. "What? No."_

"_I guess it's safe to say that you are still single?"_

"_Seriously Mouth, you're freaking me out.. what's up with all these personal questions.. first with Lucas and now my love life?"_

"_Sorry Nate.. but I'm just trying to get the whole story."_

"_Whole story? What story, I thought you were going to interview me about basketball."_

"_Yeah.. but that's part of it .. every journalist knows to try to give it more dimension than that, give it some fluff to appeal to the masses not just basketball fanatics."_

"_Right?"_

"_Nathan, I'm serious.. I mean look Angelina, she does all these good deeds and then next thing you know, they are talking about what clothes she's wearing… basketball puts you in the spotlight Nate.. but all that other stuff that's what's going to keep people interested and tuning it .. I'm trying to bolster my portfolio here."_

"_Whatever you say man?" Nathan shook his head. "I thought you wanted to be on ESPN not the E! network." _

"_You'll see one day.." Mouth got up and started to put the equipment away. "By the way, do you need help with your video?"_

"_Video?"_

"_Basketball video, to send to scouts.. I mean every player does it."_

"_Umm.. you know what.. I should do that.. I mean I started one last year .. I never really finished."_

"_It's a good way to market yourself, especially if the scouts don't see you in person and only read about you in the paper."_

"_You have a point."_

"_Yeah.. if you need help editing and stuff.. I'd be happy to help you out."_

"_Thanks, Mouth I'll keep it in mind." Nathan looked at his watch. "Look man, I gotta run.. we done?"_

"_Yeah.. thanks for your help Nate."_

_. . . . . _

"_So Hales.. what you do you want to do later?"_

"_Huh?"_

"_Later.. after school.. you want to do something? Whitey finally let us have some downtime before going into our last game and starting post season.. and I know you don't have cheerleading and your off today from the café."_

_Haley bit her lip. She hated to lie but she was already meeting Nathan after school. "You know me.. studying."_

"_Studying? Come on, let's do something."_

"_Luke.. I can't .. like you said.. with cheering and the café .. I barely have enough time as it is.. you know I need to make my grades in order to get scholarship into Duke."_

"_Duke?" Lucas questioned._

Crap_, Haley told herself. "Yeah.." She tried to play it off. "Duke, Stanford, Columbia.. they are all good schools and if I want to get a scholarship to any of them then I need to keep my grades up."_

"_I thought you wanted to leave the State, I didn't know you were considering Duke?"_

"_You know I always had Duke as a back up.. and besides my brother went there and I know it's a good school."_

"_Oh okay, I was about to say.. when did you change your dream school on me? I mean, for all you know I might get into Berkley and we can still be close while you're at Stanford." Lucas said hopefully._

_Haley smiled nervously. "Or if I go to Duke, you can be close by at UNC?"_

_Lucas smiled. "That would be nice.. but we both know your meant for greater things outside this place.. thanks for cheering me up though." Lucas was glad to have Haley in his life. His grades were good but not as good as Haley's and although he would probably get into any school he wanted, him and his mom couldn't afford it. UNC would probably be his best bet, it was close enough to Tree Hill so he can still be close to his mom and help out in the café if needed and plus it was a state school and the tuition would be more manageable. _

"_Oh look.. there's Nate.. maybe he wants to do something later?" Lucas dragged Haley along._

"_Do we have to see him?" Haley whined, although she was secretly thrilled to see him. It was already hard lying to everyone, the least amount of time she spent with Nathan in public and around their friends, the better._

"_Come on Hales.. play nice.. Nathan doesn't bite."_

Yeah, right that's why I'm wearing a turtle neck_, Haley said to herself and she started to feel really hot. She shook her head and tried to get her mind off the gutter. _

"_Hey Nate.." Lucas called out._

"_Hey Luke." Nathan greeted then peered his head over to look at Haley. She had her hair pulled back, no make up, with just jeans and a shirt. She never looked so sexy, especially with her turtle neck sweater hugging her in all the right places. He knew damn well why she was wearing a turtle neck and he was damn proud of it. Nathan couldn't wait for school to end so he can have his _Haley time_._

"_Hades.." Nathan smirked at Haley. Haley narrowed her eyes to give him a warning glance. Last week when they were together during one of their frequent all nighters, Nathan was exhausted and pulled Haley close to him, calling her Hades because she was a devil in bed._

"_Cut it out you two." Lucas interjected._

_Nathan turned away from Haley and looked back at his brother. He didn't want to push her buttons too much or else she'd withhold sex from him, something he definitely did not want. _

"_What's up Luke?"_

"_You want to do something after school? Shoot some hoops or play some live."_

"_Umm.. nah I'm good." Nathan replied as he glanced at Haley who gave him a worried look. Lucas must've asked her to hang out after school too. "With Whitey giving us a break, I just want some downtime to relax."_

"_Come on Nate."_

"_Some other time."_

"_Oh I get it .. you're seeing her again?" _

_Haley's ears perked up. _

"_What're you talking about?" Nathan questioned._

"_The way you've been busy lately Nate.. seriously dude.. who is she? Don't tell me you're back to seeing Courtney? Or Christine.. or what's that brunette that's a junior." _

_Nathan could practically feel Haley's eyes burning a hole through him._

"_There's no one Luke." Nathan laughed nervously. _

"_Whatever you say little brother.. I know you."_

"_You don't know anything!" Nathan spat out. Nathan didn't mean to come off so harsh but Lucas was pushing his buttons and having Haley hear it didn't sit well with him. Lucas looked at his brother curiously, obviously he crossed a line. Nathan thought fast to try to lighten the mood. "Just cuz you can't get a date doesn't mean you have to but into mine."_

_Lucas smirked. "So you do have a date?" _

"_Okay Luke you got me.. I'm going to see someone later.. a little spitfire..." Nathan wiggled his eyes towards Haley's direction. Haley inwardly blushed but kept her outward appearance indifferent. She didn't want to give Lucas any hints. _

"_I know who it is.. Rachel." Lucas replied. Haley rolled her eyes. Brooke was right about her, she was annoying as hell and the fact that she kept leering over Nathan during games and practices made her want to gouge her eyes out. _

"_No not her." Nathan laughed._

"_Why not? I hear she has the biggest crush on you."_

"_Who doesn't?" Nathan shrugged cockily. _

"_I don't!" Haley rolled eyes. All this talk about Nathan with other girls had her on edge. _

"_We know that Haley." Lucas turned to her but Nathan threw her a knowing look. _

"_So who is she?" _

"_Don't worry about it Luke."_

"_Why can't you tell me?" _

"_Because it's more fun this way." Nathan teased as he tapped Lucas on the shoulder. "I'll see you later Luke .. Hades.." Nathan smirked at Haley before walking away._

"_I know why he won't tell me." Lucas turned back to Haley._

"_Oh.. why?" Haley tried to act cool._

"_All these secret dates he's been going on with out telling me about who he's seeing .. he knows I'll give him crap about it.. I know him.. I wish he could just settle for one girl you know.. and I think deep down he wants that too." Lucas sighed. _

_Haley remained quiet as they walked down to class, all the while trying _not_ to think that maybe she could be just that girl for Nathan._

_. . . . ._

_Haley lifted Nathan's bookbag and placed it on the lounge chair next to hers. She was currently straightening out the living room, waiting for Nathan to get back. As soon as school was over, Haley headed straight home and sure enough, Nathan came following right after her. She didn't think they even said hi before their clothes came flying off. She was curious as to why Nathan insisted on leaving, saying he needed to get something. He was being vague and she didn't like it. Either way, it gave her sometime to clean up the place, they made a mess of the living room, with all the throw pillows strewn about. She was so glad her parents were off visiting one of her siblings. _

_She heard the front door open and close and she called out. "Finally!"_

"_Were you expecting someone?" She heard a voice call out. _

"_Lucas?!" Haley was shocked when she turned around to see him. "What.. what're you doing here?"_

"_I'm bored and I figured we can study together.. were you waiting for someone just now?"_

"_No.. I wasn't.."_

"_Ready for round two?" Nathan called out as he entered through the back, carrying with him a bottle of whip cream. Nathan smirked to himself,_ this was going to be fun_. But his smirk dropped once he entered the living room and found Lucas and Haley there._

"_Luke!" Nathan exclaimed._

"_Nathan? What're you doing here.. and what's with the whip cream?" Lucas eyed the two curiously. _

_Nathan was at a loss for words and Haley's mind was reeling. She had to think fast, do something. _

"_Umm.." Nathan said nervously. He looked over to Haley for help._

"_Fine Luke.. you caught us." Haley lamented._

"_What's going on?" Lucas asked as Nathan turned to her, fear in his eyes. He was preparing himself for the punches Lucas would surely throw his way. She saw the look in his eyes and knew there was no way Lucas or anyone else could find out about them. _

_Haley tried to play it off and turned to Nathan. "Why didn't you grab the icecream?" Haley walked towards the kitchen and both Scotts followed her. _

_She opened the fridge and took out icecream and then opened the cabinet and took out two bowls. "You want one Luke?" _

"_Wait, Hales.. what's going on?" Lucas looked at both of them confused._

"_Your brother here has the attention span of a 5 year old so I said we can have a break before we resuming our second round of tutoring."_

_Nathan breathed a sigh of relief, _she was good_._

"_She's tutoring you?" Lucas turned to Nathan._

_Nathan put his hands up in defeat. "You got me Luke.. I'm as dumb as a stick and Haley is helping me out."_

"_More like begged and pleaded for my help or risk getting kicked off the team." Haley played along. _

"_I didn't know your grades were that bad." Lucas turned to Nathan, feeling a little bad._

"_Well, it's not something I want advertised." Nathan took a seat and grabbed a bowl, feeling a little bit more comfortable. "Where's my spoon?" He turned to Haley. _

"_What am I your maid?" She spat back. Nathan laughed as he grabbed a spoon by the sink. _

_Nathan and Haley turned to Lucas who was now trying to control his laughter._

"_What?" Nathan asked._

"_This is hilarious." Lucas continued to laugh. "I'm just trying to picture you guys studying, with Haley giving orders..and you .. well bring you.. oh man.. haha.. I'm surprised you two haven't killed each other.. I know I shouldn't be laughing."_

"_Then maybe you should tutor him." Haley spoke up. _

"_No, no.. I leave that to you .. I guess this explains why you two have been MIA lately." _

_Haley found the irony of the situation also amusing. "You got us Luke.. Nathan didn't want people to know he was being tutored and I definitely did not want people to think that I liked to associate myself him.." _

_Grabbing a bowl for himself, Lucas sat next to Nathan and the three had icecream._

"_You know Nate.. you have nothing to be ashamed of .. everyone needs a little help sometimes."_

"_Yeah.. well it's getting help from drill sergeant here.." _

"_Oh shut up." Haley interrupted. "You don't know what you'd do with out me.. now finish up … this was a break not social hour." Haley ordered._

_Lucas chuckled to himself but thought this was a good thing. Maybe by spending more time together, they can actually be friends but the way they kept bickering, he knew it was a long shot._

_. . . . ._

"_Aight guys.. I'm off.. thanks for the icecream Hales .. I'll leave you guys to study. . don't kill each other now." Lucas joked as he left through the kitchen door. _

"_Bye Luke!" Haley called out as she closed the door and made sure to lock it. As soon as she turned around, Nathan was there and pinned her against the door, his mouth on hers. _

_After a breathless kiss, Nathan pulled away. "Nice save back there."_

"_Your welcome.. I was sure he'd fine out."_

"_Now he won't.. and now we don't have to lie anymore .. we can just call it _tutoring_.." Nathan smirked._

"_Oh so that's what they're calling it now."_

_Nathan left hot kisses against her neck. "Yeah.. and right now I want to study Anatomy and Physiology." He smirked. "Your anatomy and physiology." He teased._

_She laughed and pushed him off her. _

"_You're such a dork." She went over to the counter and picked up the bottle of whip cream. "But whip cream huh?" She smirked back and then traced her finger down his broad chest, then tugging the neckline of his t-shirt. Within a second, Nathan had his shirt off and Haley pushed him against a nearby chair. Nathan plopped down while Haley drew a "S" across his chest and onto his stomach with the whip cream. She immediately got on her knees and traced the whip cream up his taunt skin, making sure to savor every lick. Nathan sucked his breath as her tongue roamed his torso. He had to remind himself to breath, he was so worked up that he felt like he could go any second. She grazed her teeth against his neck and then finally found his mouth. _

"_You forgot the chocolate syrup." She raised her eyebrows. Nathan couldn't take it anymore and wrapped his arms around her, pushing her flush to his body and then claiming her lips, tasting the whip cream on her tongue. _

"_Tastes so good." He mumbled against her lips. _

_. . . . . ._

Present

Nathan stared aimlessly at his ceiling. He was currently lying in bed throwing a small basketball in the air. The rain was intermittent and he could hear the drops of water from his window. There were so many thoughts going through his mind, he didn't know how it came to this.

"You're an idiot you know that?"

Nathan turned his head and found Brooke by the doorway.

"What do you want Brooke?"

"I talked to Haley… how could you tell her you did not love her?"

"I didn't say I didn't."

"NO! But apparently you didn't confirm it anyway, what the hell Nate?"

Nathan sighed as he sat up. "Look Brooke, I don't want to talk about it."

"Well you may not want to talk but you better do something and fast.. Haley's really torn up about this… I always knew the two of you were fooling yourselves."

"What're you talking about?"

"God, you two are really blind.. I've seen the way you are when your with her.. you've fallen for her.. and apparently your too dense to see that she's fallen for you too."

". . . ." Nathan stayed quiet, knowing Brooke was right. He knew his feelings for Haley ran deep but it was just so much easier to live in denial than face the truth.

"Now I want you to look at me in the eye and tell me that you don't love her."

Nathan looked right at her and then shook his head. "You already know I can't do that." There was no point in lying to someone who could call him out on his BS.

"Good.. now tell her that! Please! She may not show it sometimes but I know that deep down she loves you too.. believe me.. she would do anything to be with you and I know how hard it has been for her keeping this thing between the two of you a secret… so now that it's out in the open.. just go for it already."

Nathan turned his head and noticed a photo on his nightstand of the Ravens after the state championship. He smiled at the memory but just as quickly his smile faded, who was he to think he could have it all.

"It's not as simple as that." Nathan shook his head.

"Why not?" Brooke retorted.

Nathan took one last glance at the photo and then back to Brooke.

"Cuz maybe I don't want to be with her."

. . . . .

15 minutes earlier (before Brooke arrived)

"I know your mad."

"Of course I'm mad!" Lucas almost shouted.

"You know.. I ran into Daunte just now… he says hi by the way." Lucas glared at his brother. Nathan literally felt his heart and breathing stop.

"What ..what did he want?" Nathan asked nervously.

"I thought you paid him."

"I will.. I was going to .. I made enough money at the party I threw last night."

"Good.. get that taken care of Nathan .. God, you know.. it's like I don't even know you .. I've done what you asked.. I kept this whole Daunte thing between us .. and then to find out about Haley .. how could you?"

"Luke. . I said I'm sorry."

"Sorry doesn't change anything .. and after talking to Haley and Brooke .. everything is becoming crystal clear.."

"What're you talking about?"

"This thing with Haley.. you know it can't work."

"Luke.."

"No.. Nate.. I get it .. when you said you loved her.. I believe you and I know that in some sick way she cares for you too .. it makes sense why she stopped talking about Stanford and has been talking more about Duke."

"Duke?"

"Yeah, it makes sense why she never said yes to Stanford yet... she wants to follow you to Duke."

"She .. she does?"

Lucas noticed a photo by Nathan's nightstand. It was of the Ravens after they won state championship. Lucas sighed, "I didn't think of it at the time, why she kept bringing up Duke.. I thought it was to be close to me while I go to UNC but I know it's not that.."

"Luke.. I .."

"Look, Nate, whatever you have to say, it doesn't matter .. you're not going to Duke."

Nathan closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He knew his brother was right. "No.. I'm not going to Duke."

"If you love her, then you have to do right by her.. she'll follow you Nathan.. she'd be willing to give up her dream school for you.. is that what you really want?"

Nathan loved Haley, never knew how to love until she came along, but with love comes sacrifice and he knew he couldn't live with himself if he knew that he got in the way of her dreams.

"No.. it's not.." Nathan replied softly.

To Be Continued . . . . .


	14. Chapter 14

Behind the Scenes

Chapter 14

Thank you all for your reviews. They mean a lot and I'm sorry for delays I've been having with my stories, I'm in the process of moving and as many of you know how much of a pain it is and as much time it consumes. Now I know many are you are frustrated with present Lucas and Nathan and the situation with Daunte but believe me as much as I take from the show I do like to add my twist to it. I don't want to say too much, I'll let the chapter speak for itself. I was about to break it up in half but decided to keep it as is, I think the overall effect would be better and I figured, it's been a while since I updated so I hope you'll enjoy this nice long chapter. Now a lot of things happen here and we're bridging the gap between the past and present.

On a side note, two celebrities passed away recently. I didn't grow up with Farrah Faucet but I admired her strength and determination against cancer. It does not only take a toll on the patient but the people around them and I know this first hand, may she rest in peace. And of course Michael Jackson, I'm a little perturbed by all the sudden praise he's receiving, esp from people who were hating on him for years. It's really quite appalling to see this jump on the band wagon from many out there. I will not front, I thought he was just plain weird and it doesn't take a psychiatrist to know that having that fame and pressure from a young age will surely affect you as an adult and Michael was not different. I have always loved his music and I hear his songs all the time, way before his death, in the clubs and bars and people always danced and bobbed their heads to it. I give credit where credit is due and no doubt Michael changed the face of music for everyone, not just blacks. I hope he finds the peace that had alluded him in real life.

I also updated my other story, Stillness, yesterday so please check that out. Enjoy the chapter and please review!

. . . . . .

Present

Brooke was right, Nathan thought to himself. He had talk to Haley. He had to straighten things out with her but at the same time he had to remain strong because with Haley, he always found himself weak in the knees. Going public with their relationship was something Nathan wanted but he hadn't thought about the impact of that would have on both their lives. Who was he kidding, she was heading to college while his dreams of college ball was gone. It was his fault that he had to blurt out the "L word" to Lucas and of course Haley was there to hear it all. Now there was all this pressure and the future was coming whether he liked it or not.

As much as he hated to admit it, his brother was right. It was time to face reality and stop living in some dream. Haley deserved better than that and she didn't need to be dragged down by his problems, it was already bad enough that he got Lucas involved.

He thought to himself if he could really do it, if he could really break free from her. He was naïve to think that he can but in truth he knew he couldn't really truly let her go. There had to be another choice, an alternative. He was tired of lying to her and seeing her hurt today made him feel even worst. Yet, he would feel worse knowing that she gave up her dreams because of him.

He drove slowly, thinking of all the ways this could go. She already thought he said that he loved her to save face with Lucas, so there was no point in taking that back. Instead, he would let her know that he does care deeply about her and would do what they talked about before and take things slow. He wouldn't leave the door open for her to stay here for him. She had a life to live outside Tree Hill and he knew he would only hold her back.

The rain had stopped but it left a cool mist in it's wake. It was actually quite cool for spring. He parked in front of her house and as he walked up the walkway, he noticed her outside, sitting on a bench her dad put in the front patio. He smiled to himself when he saw her, her hair pulled back, wearing sweat pants and an over sized green hoody that belonged to him and with no make up on, she was by far the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on.

His footsteps took her away from her thoughts and she looked up at him with a blank stare. No words were spoken as Nathan moved in front of her and took a seat next to her. The silence was deafening and after a moment, Nathan decided to speak up.

"I'm sorry." He said softly, not being able to bear looking at her. "About earlier.. I .. I didn't mean to hurt you.. Lucas was egging me on and I reacted.. I'm sorry you had to hear all that."

". . . ."

She was giving him the silent treatment, _great_, he thought. This was definitely much harder than he thought it would be.

"I should've let you talk to him first like what we agreed.. I'm.. I'm sorry."

"Are you?" She finally spoke up and she turned to face him. "Are you sorry?"

"Yeah.. I .. I am."

"What are we Nathan?" She asked bluntly. She had so many questions swirling around in her mind. She needed answers or else she'd go crazy.

He gave her a quizzical look.

"When we were sneaking around, it was easy to dismiss things as just having fun or hanging out .. but what.. what are we now? Are you just still hanging out .. or is it for sex because if it is…"

"It's not." He replied quickly.

"And just _hanging out_ isn't good enough for me either." She said firmly. "I just .. I.." She faltered on her words. "I just want.."

"What, Hales? What do you want?" He asked nervously

She looked straight at him, her brown eyes burning into his blue orbs.

"You." She said simply.

Nathan swallowed the lump in his throat.

"You do have me." He said softly.

"Do I? I'm not so sure."

"Hales.. I'm right here… like I said, things with Lucas got out of hand.."

"Dammit Nathan! This isn't about Lucas.. this is about you and me!"

Haley took a deep breath. This was it, no more lying or hiding or living in denial. If she couldn't have him, then it was time to let him go.

"I love you Nathan!" She exclaimed.

Nathan sat there, almost in shock.

"There I said it.. you may not love me .. but I do Nathan… I love you." She said the last part softly, her eyes glistening as she fought the tears she knew would be coming. She turned her head and body away from him, almost ashamed to look at him directly.

Nathan felt his heart constrict and his mouth run dry. She loved him, Haley James actually loves him. He was too overwhelmed to say anything, now he knew how she felt earlier today. He heard her sniffle and he reached out to her cheeks to wipe the stray tear that fell down.

"Don't!" She said harshly. He scooted closer to her and cupped her chin and forced her to look at him. He could feel his heart beat a mile a minute. The tears were flowing from her eyes now and he could see the vulnerability and desperation on her face. There was only one thing Nathan could do, not like he even had a choice.

He kissed her.

She felt herself getting lost in the kiss as her mouth opened up for him.

"No!" She broke off the kiss but Nathan held her close and cupped her face with his hands. He placed his forehead against hers, their eyes meeting. This was not what he was expecting but here it was nonetheless. He was right, he couldn't let go of her, he didn't have it in him.

"I love you." He said softly. The three words he didn't want to say, the three words that made him vulnerable and three words he couldn't deny not saying anymore.

Haley blinked a few times, not sure if she even heard correctly.

"I love you Haley James.. I love you so much it hurts." He said honestly.

"Nathan Scott if you are lying to me, I swear to God on all that is holy…"

He cut her off by kissing her again. "If there's one thing you can be sure of, Hales, it's that I DO love you… I've always had."

"But.. but earlier.."

"I.." Nathan was trying to find right words. "I was scared." He said softly and luckily for him, he wasn't lying one bit about that. He was more than scared, he was terrified.

"You.. you love me?" Haley said hesitantly, not quite believing him just yet.

"Yes." He smiled. "I love you .. and I want to be with you .. properly .. you and me.. so what do you say _girlfriend_?"

She whacked him in the arms.

"Hales, what the.."

"Don't ever do that again!" She warned but just as quickly her angry expression turned into one of pure delight. She kissed him back with such intensity and passion that when their lips finally parted, they were left breathless.

"Hey.. Hales.. don't cry.."

She sniffled. "No.. I'm just so happy. I want to be with you too." She moved over so she could sit on his lap, wanting to be even closer to him. She rested her head against the crook of his neck, an angelic smile plastered over her face.

"Thank you." She said softly.

"Thank me? For what."

"For making me happy.. are.. are you happy, Nathan?"

"I am now." He said honestly as he kissed the top of her head and held her even tighter. To think that he was willing to give this up, he was such an idiot. No, he would fight like hell to be with her. There were already so many things taken from him, he would not allow Haley to be taken away from him too.

She hugged him tighter and placed her hand over his chest.

"Your heart is racing."

"That's what happens when I'm around you." He said confidently. She instantly blushed and she turned her head away from him. She was sure she was as red as a tomato.

"Stop it, you're making me blush."

"I love making you blush." He cockily replied.

"I love that you make me blush."

"And I love you for letting me."

She smiled against his chest. "Say it again."

"I love you." He repeated, hugging her firmly.

They sat there in silence, content in being in each other's embrace. This wasn't the first time they would just hold each other and they doubt it would be the last.

Lucas walked towards the house with a small scowl on his face, but it softened as he looked on at the young couple. She was sitting on his lap, her head buried against his neck and shoulder. There was something about the way he was holding her and how content she looked. Lucas had no doubt in his mind that he was witnessing something special here and he couldn't fault either of them for giving into their heart's desires. The anger and betrayal he felt earlier lessened upon seeing that what they had was the real thing.

"I guess, I'm dateless tonight." He cleared out his throat. Clearly, Nathan and Haley were lost in their own world that they didn't even notice Lucas until he spoke up.

"Luke!" Haley turned around to look at her best friend.

"This is awkward." Lucas shuffled his feet. "Maybe I should just go."

"Luke, wait." Nathan spoke up. "We're sorry we kept this from you.. but I want you to be the first to know.. Haley and I .. we're together.. like _together_."

"Oh." Lucas was not expecting that. He just left Nathan's house not too long ago where he thought that they agreed that he should stay away from Haley. "So I guess I really am dateless." He tried to joke and clear the tension in the air.

"Luke.. I'm sor.." Haley spoke up.

"No, Hales.. it's ok. Lucas is your best friend and you were going to go to the prom together.. right?" Nathan gave his brother a pointed look.

Lucas glared at Nathan for a moment before turning to Haley. "If you'd still have me."

"Of course." Haley got up and hugged Lucas. "Actually.." Haley smiled.

"Why don't we go together?"

"That's a freaky threesome." Lucas replied.

"Oh shut up." Haley laughed. "What do you say Luke? Nathan?"

"Yeah.. okay." He gave a small smile back.

"Anything for my girl." Nathan replied back.

"Thanks Luke." She gave him a big hug. "Oh my God.. look at the time I got to get ready!!"

"Okay.. go." Lucas replied. "And Hales.. sorry if I was being weird earlier.. this is still a lot to take in."

"No Luke.. you had every right." Haley felt relieved and she was actually excited to go tonight with her two guys alongside with her. "Ok now I really got to get going.." Haley looked at her watch. She gave Lucas one last hug and went over to Nathan and gave him a big kiss on the lips.

"And I'll see you later." She smiled at him and he held her close and gave one last kiss.

"I'll see you later." Nathan let her go and Haley stepped back inside the house and closed the door behind her.

Nathan turned around and found his brother looking at him intently. Nathan started to walk back to his car.

"What the hell was that?" Lucas spoke up, walking alongside Nathan. "I thought we agreed.."

"No.. you agreed.." Nathan corrected. "Look man, I tried.. but I couldn't.. I love her too much."

Lucas sighed, he knew something like this would happen.

"So, what're you going to do when she wants to stay here?"

"No, she's going to Stanford." Nathan quickly replied. "And I'm going with her."

. . . . . .

_Flashback_

"_Just when I thought you couldn't get enough of yourself." Haley mused from Nathan's door way. _

_Nathan turned around and saw Haley standing there._

"_Hey, I didn't hear you come in."_

"_I'm sorry, was I bothering you while you were checking yourself out?" Haley teased. _

"_Cute, Hales.. I'm just looking over some footage of me."_

"_What for?" Haley asked as she sat down next to Nathan on his bed._

"_Scouts.. for college."_

"_Oh." Haley tried to hide her disappointment. For years, she couldn't wait for high school to be over and start college. Now, it seemed that time was going way too fast. Pretty soon, they would be graduating and she still hadn't decided which school to go to. She knew she always wanted to go to Stanford but ever since she began _"hanging out"_ with Nathan, she was having second thoughts. With each passing day, she was falling more and more for him and denial could only work for so long. _

"_Anyways, I think I need to re-shoot some footage, care to join me?" Nathan got up and took the camera from the tripod. _

"_Fine." She rolled her eyes and Nathan stuck out his hand and Haley grabbed it as they made their way downstairs to Nathan's basketball court. It was moments like these, not when they were ripping each other clothes off that had her wondering. What were they? Holding hands, hugging, talking, laughing, she was so confused to everything and she knew that they had to discuss that eventually. Sneaking around had been great and with her _tutoring_ Nathan, it had made things easier to be with him alone, but she was starting to think if she wanted more. _

_She shook those thoughts off as they made their way outside and Nathan handed her the camera. He showed her how to work it and then spent the next couple of minutes filming Nathan shooting around and showing off for the camera._

"_How was that?" Nathan asked as he picked up the ball after dunking it. _

"_Umm.. it looked the same as the last one." Haley replied._

_Nathan took the camera from her and rewound it. "Still doesn't look right." Nathan commented. _

"_Well I know how to make it look better?" Haley suggested._

"_What, should I add a spin move?"_

"_Spin what?" Haley shook her head and then grinned at him. She played with the hem of his t-shirt. "You'll look a lot better if you lose this." _

_Placing the camera down, Nathan removed his shirt and Haley once again marveled at his toned, sweaty physique. _

"_Better?" He raised his eyebrow and Haley sucked in her breath and licked her lips._

"_Definitely." _

_Nathan smirked and then looked around to double check no one was around. He pulled his shorts down, stepping out in them, leaving only his boxers on. _

_Haley's breath was staggered as she noticed the tent forming on his boxers. _

"_Inside now!" She ordered. _

"_I think we should bring the camera, what do you say? I think the camera will love you." Nathan teased._

"_Oh shut up!" Haley rolled her eyes and dragged a laughing Nathan inside into his room. _

_. . . . ._

"_What am I going to do?" Haley asked quietly as they chatted near an empty corner. The Ravens won their last regular game and were now heading into post season. As always, the team celebrated with a party at Nathan's place._

"_Just tell him you love him already." Brooke replied. _

"_Brooke!" _

"_Fine fine.. you don't want to admit it .. yet.. that's cool.. look I just want to let you know that people are becoming suspicious._

"_What.. what do you mean?"_

"_Well Nathan hasn't been seeing anyone lately and with him spending all his time _tutoring, _people are starting to become suspicious. People think he's seeing someone on the side, they just don't know who."_

"_Oh my God, Brooke what am I going to do? They know?"_

"_No, not yet. But I mean everyone still thinks you two don't get along so if you two start seeing other people then.."_

"_Wait .. what?"_

"_You and Nathan should go out with different people."_

"_Brooke!"_

"_Look Haley, you wanted my help, well here it is. If you two start dating, it'll throw people off and no one will suspect a thing, especially Lucas. Now, it doesn't mean that you or Nathan have to stop seeing each other but just make it look like you two are single."_

"_We are single."_

"_Right.. look Hales, think about it."_

_Haley rolled her eyes. "Fine." _

"_Fine what?" Peyton came walking up to them._

_Brooke smirked to herself. "Haley here has finally agreed to go out with Chase again."_

"_Really, that's great, Hales… I know he's been asking about you."_

"_Really?" Haley gritted her teeth and glanced at Brooke. _

"_Yeah, what happened with you two? I thought things were going great?" Peyton asked._

"_Oh you know.. I got busy.. with school and cheering."_

"_And tutoring." Brooke added with a smirk._

"_Speaking of tutoring .. how is that going with Nathan?" Peyton asked. "I'm surprised you two get anything done."_

"_Well Haley here knows how to put hotshot in his place." Brooke smirked._

_. . . . ._

"_I got them." Lucas came up to Nathan._

"_The tickets?" Nathan's ears perked up._

"_Yep, I was able to put in the last minute bid on e-bay before I got sniped."_

"_Sweet."_

"_How are the seats?"_

"_Not bad, the only thing is that we're in a different section than Skills and them." _

"_It's alright .. road trip to Charlotte." Nathan smiled and the two pumped fists._

"_You know it.. it's going to be great, so Skills, Mouth, Fergie and John are taking Mouth's car and we can go in mine."_

"_Nah, we can take my truck and ride in style." Nathan smirked._

"_Yeah yeah.." Lucas rolled his eyes and took a sip of his drink. "So what happened tonight?"_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_You seemed a little off in tonight's game?"_

_Nathan glanced over and saw Haley talking with Brooke, no doubt they were talking about him by the way they secluded themselves off from everyone else._

_Lucas followed Nathan's gaze. "Haley's been riding you pretty hard huh?"_

You have no idea,_ Nathan smirked to himself, but he had to be more careful. His conflicting feelings for Haley were definitely starting to weigh down on him. _

"_Yeah.. just late night tutoring .. I'm just tired ..but I'm just glad my Dad is away on business."_

"_Yeah. Definitely .. plus . we have a two week before play offs and the Bobcats game next week in Charlotte will definitely give us some downtime before post season."_

"_Speaking of which.." Nathan looked at who just walked in._

_Lucas turned around to see three sophomores enter. "Aren't they JV?"_

"_Yeah.. since their the lead players in the JV squad, Whitey is promoting them to Varsity so they could see how it is post season."_

"_Well, let's welcome them to the team." Lucas smiled as he grabbed some drinks for their new teammates. _

_. . . . . _

"_NO!" Nathan stated firmly._

"_Nathan.." Haley pleaded with him. They were currently a few houses away from Nathan's house to get some privacy._

"_Why the hell would you go out again with fucking Chad Murray?!?!"_

"_Chase Adams." Haley corrected._

"_Whatever." Nathan huffed. _

"_Look, people are starting to talk." _

"_And?"_

"_And what if one of those people is Lucas."_

"…"

"_Look .. I'm just going to have dinner with him and I mean you can go out too.. I guess." Haley mumbled._

"_Really? Huh?"_

"_I mean.. if you want."_

"_What if I don't want to." Nathan stepped closer. He'd been drinking and it seemed the liquor was lowering his defenses._

"_Nathan.." She tried to speak but he quickly closed the gap between them and kissed her. After a few moments, Nathan broke off the kiss._

"_Alright, fine.. I'll go along with this.. but you got to do something for me."_

"_What?" Haley raised her eyebrow._

_A couple of minutes later, they were back in the house and the party was in full swing. He made it up to his room and Haley followed a few minutes later. Once inside, he locked the door and started kissing her furiously. He pressed his groin against her, letting her know how much he wanted her. They removed each other's shirts and then fell onto the bed. _

"_Wait, hold up." Nathan got up and walked over the tri-pod._

"_Nathan!" Haley warned._

"_A deals a deal." Nathan smirked as he looked into the camera. He replaced the tape inside with one of Nathan's old basketball footage and then hit the record button. He immediately went back to Haley and started kissing her heatedly. _

_Haley managed to break off the kiss and push Nathan off her. "Come on, I can't believe I'm doing this."_

"_Don't worry, no one will ever know." Nathan smirked towards the camera._

"_But the party.." Haley tried to protest._

"_It's okay, Lucas is bonding with his new teammates." Nathan said breathlessly as he leaned over and the two shared another sizzling kiss. Nathan's hands roamed to the clasp of Haley's bra and he eagerly threw it on the other side of the room. She quickly made work of his jeans and he pulled it along with his boxers off. Haley came up to kiss him and her hand instantly grabbed onto Nathan's hard erection. Nathan smirked and tilted their bodies so the camera can capture all the good stuff. His hand reached between them and unbuttoned Haley's jeans and pretty soon she was just as naked as he was. He reached over to the nightstand and finished off his beer. Haley bit her lips in anticipation as Nathan's eyes grew dark with passion and lust. He entered her quickly, the sound of the music blaring downstairs masking her cries of pleasure._

. . . . . .

Present.

"What?!?..What are you going to go to do in California?"

"I don't know yet.. but I do know that I can't be without her.. this way she wouldn't have to give up Stanford for me."

"Nathan have you thought this through?"

"No.. I haven't .. and that's the thing .. I haven't thought anything through .. you were right earlier Luke.. I'm not going to Duke.. I'm not going to play college ball.. it's time I face reality and move on.. at least this way I can move on with Haley."

"I can't believe this.. you and Haley?" Lucas shook his head, still trying to come to grip with things. "So all those girls you went out with?"

"Meant absolutely nothing." Nathan smiled proudly.

"What about Rachel? Weren't you going to take her tonight?"

"I saw her earlier this morning, I told her no. I didn't want to go with her in the first place, Haley made me."

"Why would she do that?"

"Long story." Nathan rolled his eyes. "Either way, I'm done with all the hiding.. Haley and I are going to be together and that's that." Nathan said confidently.

Lucas nodded and Nathan actually made sense. He was right, there was nothing left for Nathan in Tree Hill and Haley wouldn't be giving up anything with Nathan following her. Yet there was still one last problem.

"What about Daunte?" Lucas asked softly as Nathan unlocked his car.

"I have the money with me and I'm going to see him now and take care of this."

"You know that once you pay Daunte, it's not over." Lucas wanted to remind Nathan.

Nathan sighed, hating that Lucas was right. But Lucas was only looking out for him, he was grateful for that. "I know." He said softly. "But one step at a time right?"

Lucas nodded as Nathan got in and drove off. Lucas watched him drive off and then started to leave as well. All the while a certain red head saw the whole thing from a distance.

To Be Continued . . . .

So now you know how the sex tape started, hehe. Please review.


	15. Chapter 15

Behind the Scenes

Chapter 15

Thank you guys for the reviews in the last chapter. I'm sorry for not updating sooner but I've been so busy at work and all these other things going on that I haven't had the proper time to sit down and write. Not to mention feedback on this story has dramatically dropped, which makes me a little sad, I hope I haven't lost readers. But to those who took the time out to review, thanks again, your comments make me smile. Your feedback is very important to me as it helps me keep motivated, so please keep it up. The gap between the past and present is getting smaller. From here on out, things are going to get a little crazy, so enjoy and please review!!!

_. . . . ._

_Flashback _

"_Are you okay?" Chase asked._

"_Yeah." Haley offered a weak smile._

"_You sure? That's the third time you've yawned." Chase was quick to point out._

"_I'm sorry." Haley shook her head._

"_Don't tell me I'm that boring?" Chase laughed nervously, hoping self deprecation would lighten the mood. Haley had given him another chance and he wasn't going to blow it. Although he still wasn't sure why she blew him off several weeks ago. He thought she was seeing someone else but from everyone he's talked to she was still single. _

"_No.." Haley half lied, the truth was that she would rather be anywhere but here at the moment. "It was just a late night last night… I didn't get that much sleep." _

"_Oh, let me get you a coffee." Chase offered with a smile. Haley felt slightly guilty, he was a gentleman after all. Nathan Scott was not, he would never do anything like that for her. But then she stopped that train of thought as soon as it entered her mind. She remembered mentioning to Nathan how she loved green M&M's and he teased her about the colors not making any difference in taste. Still, later that week, when they watched a DVD together, he ripped open a bag of M&M's and separated all the green ones for Haley to have. Then there was the time she was feeling sick and he brought her soup with her extra noodles just like she liked it. She had to cross that out the list, Nathan Scott was definitely a gentleman, she just didn't realized it and she wondered if he did too. _

"_That would be great, thanks." Haley smiled back and was relieved when Chase got up and headed back to the counter to ask for coffee. _

_This time around, their date was more low key, instead of a fancy restaurant, Haley wanted something less formal so they went to a diner just outside town where the food was cheap but also very tasty. She was relieved when Chase got up and left. It would give her sometime to get herself together. _

_She wasn't lying when she said she had a late night. Ever since they made that _video, _Nathan has been extra _eager_ lately. He seemed to get a thrill from that, secretly so did she but she wasn't going to tell him down. She was pretty sure that if she did, he would start a mini collection and there was no way that was going to happen. _

_Last night though, Nathan was extra attentive, she almost regretted telling him about going out with Chase. It seemed that he wanted to prove a point to her last night, making love until the wee hours of the morning. Just when she thought her body couldn't take another ounce of pleasure, Nathan just kept going. It was _great_ but it has taken it's toll on her sleep.. _

_She didn't know why she was here. She didn't want this but yet she dug a hole for herself. _Damn Brooke_, she thought to herself. Haley didn't know what was going on, part of her desperately wanted to keep things with Nathan private but at the same time, all the sneaking around was weighing on her and she wondered if it was the same with him. _

_Lately, she didn't know. Tonight with Chase, she was well kind of bored. With Nathan, it felt like every moment with him was new and exciting. Sure they spent most of their time with their clothes off but they talked more, been more affectionate with each other. Sometimes when they didn't make love at all they would just hold each other while watching a movie or having late night dinners and talking for what felt like hours. This felt more like a chore than a date and in some ways it was. This was all just to keep everyone's radar away from her and Nathan. _

_She didn't know when she became so hypocritical. She always prided herself on not letting anyone's opinions get to her but she was doing the opposite right now by going out with Chase. She shouldn't care what other people thought or what Lucas thought yet she did. She wasn't the girl to go all ga-ga,, blush and giggle like a little school girl for a guy but she had turned into that girl. _Nathan Scott,_ she sighed to herself. What are you doing to me, she thought to herself. _

_Chase came back a moment later with a fresh cup of coffee in hand. Taking a whiff, Haley could already feel the caffeine surging through her. She plastered on another smile and prayed that this wouldn't last long and then she could finally see the man she really wanted to be with._

_. . . . _

_Nathan was in a bad mood that much Lucas could tell. After school ended, he bid a farewell to Haley who was going to meet up with Chase. He wasn't sure why she decided to go see him again but then again he was relieved that it was Chase, he actually liked him. He didn't want some creep dating his Haley. He just hoped things work out for them this time around. Haley deserved it. Lucas knew how busy she's been with the café, school, cheering and tutoring, of all people Nathan. _

_Nathan went for the fade away but the ball only hit the rim before bouncing on the ground. Nathan cursed to himself and shook his head in frustration._

"_You okay?" Lucas asked as he grabbed the ball. The two brothers currently at the River Court. _

Of course, I'm not ok, _Nathan wanted to scream at Lucas. _My girl is out with some loser douche bag while I'm here with you! _But he had to remind himself that Haley wasn't his girl and that what she did wasn't his business but he felt like it should. Everything was getting so screwed up. He knew this whole dating thing would be an absolutely horrible idea. _

_Things with Haley were getting more complicated. He was falling for her, he knew that. Lately, all he wanted to do was spend time with her and so when she brought upon this ridiculous idea of going out with other people, he thought she was crazy at first. But he didn't want to upset her and disturb the current balance of things so he went with it. He did get a hot sex tape out of it, but last night though was his breaking point. _

_Something in him snapped when she told him that she was going to see Chase today. There was a sudden need to be with her, to touch her, kiss her, ravage her over and over to let her know exactly what she would be missing out on while being with that other guy. The thought of them together, talking, laughing and God knows what else was driving him up a wall and it was bad enough that Lucas was here to see it all. _

"_I'm fine." He gritted out._

_Lucas laughed. "Dude you need to relax."_

"_I said I'm fine."_

"_Ha.. dude you need to get laid." Lucas teased._

_Well getting laid last night and this morning wasn't doing anything to home now, Nathan thought._

"_Cute." Nathan deadpanned._

"_Listen..there's actually something I wanted to talk to you about."_

"_What's her name and what did you do now?" Nathan raised his eyebrow._

"_How do you know it's about a girl?"_

"_So this isn't about a girl?"_

"_Well it is.."_

"_Luke.. out with it." Nathan was getting impatient._

"_Okay fine.. look.. so there's this girl."_

"_Okay Brooke." Nathan urged Lucas on._

"_How you do you know it's Brooke?" Lucas chided himself for being so obvious._

"_Dude you clam up every time you're around her and it's no secret you guys hooked up on New Years.. so tell me, have you been hooking up behind everyone's back?" Nathan asked. Maybe he could finally tell his brother about Haley and that Lucas would understand why they kept it a secret._

"_No.. I mean, yeah we hooked up New Year's and that's been it.. we've hung out a couple of times since then.. just the two of us you know.. and it was.. it was nice.. I think I'm catching feelings."_

"_Did you tell her this?"_

"_I sort of tried to bring up the idea of us again but she changed topics.. and I mean it doesn't help that she's a little hung up on this Julian guy from LA and it's no secret she's been going out with guys left and right."_

"_Sounds to me that maybe she's not interested." Nathan's voice softened, suddenly feeling more sympathetic to his brother._

_Lucas sighed. "Yeah.. pretty much right?" He knew that she was probably not interested in him but still it felt good to at least talk about it with someone, even though the other person basically confirmed everything you were thinking. _

"_Sorry to say Bro .. but it sounds like she's not interested." Nathan swallowed hard, thinking about his own situation with Haley. _

_He wanted to tell his brother, to hell with this whole secret relationship crap. He needed help and needed it fast. Was this Haley's way of ending things with him? Did she really want to see other people? Was she tired of him? All these questions kept plaguing him but he knew he was to scared to ask. Nathan Scott, chicken shit, oh dear Lord what is this girl doing to him, he thought. _

"_Yeah.. which leads me to the next thing I wanted to talk to you about." Lucas spoke up. "What do you think of Anna?" Lucas tried to sound more hopeful._

"_Spanish one?"_

"_Yeah.. I'm going to see her tomorrow night.. I figure I can't wait around for Brooke.. I need to do something and like I said, it's not like she's not seeing other guys right now."_

"_She's hot.. but I heard she was gay man."_

"_No way.."_

"_Well after going out with you, she just might want to switch teams." Nathan teased._

"_Right.." Lucas deadpanned. "You know, sometimes I wonder why I even bother with you." _

_Nathan laughed, glad for the distraction of his own problems. _

"_Speaking of hot girls who might swing both ways.. I hear Rachel Gatina has it bad for you."_

"_Yeah she can take a number." Nathan shrugged casually. He knew who she was, she was basically a female version of him not too long ago. He wasn't blind or deaf, he sees the way she gawks at him during practices and how she blatantly flirts with him. A year ago, he would've _jumped on that_, literally, but now, now he didn't and he knew why, or rather who. _

"_Well I think the number she wants is your cell." Lucas responded._

_Nathan shrugged. "She's been bugging you."_

_Lucas nodded. "Yeah.. so why not go out with her.. I mean she is hot and she can finally get off my case.. it's already bad enough that Brooke catches me when I'm talking to her." Lucas shook his head, knowing full well how Brooke and Rachel don't get along. _

"_I thought you were getting over Brooke." Nathan teased._

"_Oh shut up." Lucas rolled his eyes. "Well besides.. here's your chance.. she's coming here right now."_

"_What? Who?" Nathan turned around and found Rachel walking their way. _

"_Hey guys.. fancy seeing you here." Rachel plastered a bright smile._

"_Well.. it's a basketball court and we're basketball players." Nathan commented. _

"_Hey Rachel." Lucas sounded more upbeat while throwing daggers at his brother to play nice. He leaned up towards Nathan's ear and whispered. "Like I said, you need to get laid and this one would be a sure bet." _

_It was Nathan's turn to roll his eyes. _

"_Sorry guys.. I got to help my mom at the café.. see you!"_

_Lucas started taking off before Nathan could object, leaving him alone with the one and only Rachel Gatina. _

"_So Nathan.. how's it going?"_

"_I'm okay."_

"_Any plans tonight?"_

To the point, _he thought._

"_Why?" Nathan eyed her curiously._

"_There's this fabulous Thai restaurant that opened up downtown .. I was thinking we can go.."_

"_Like a date?"_

_Rachel smile widened, no guys say no to her._

"_Yeah of course a date, silly." _

_Nathan was about to say no but paused. Haley did tell him that they should start seeing other people and maybe if he went out on a date too, she would realize what an awful idea this was and hopefully get one step closer to finally telling everyone the truth about them. _

_It was Nathan's turn to smile, "I'd love to." _

_. . . . . ._

_After the river court, Nathan headed home and got in the shower, hoping the warm water would relax him. He started having doubts about this whole date thing with Rachel. Maybe this wasn't a good idea. He should just call the whole thing off and head over to Haley's to take care of damage control with this Chase guy. The whole thing still left him unsettled. Maybe he can watch the tape he and Haley made to help calm his nerves. He started to grow hard at the thought._

_He ran his fingers through his damp hair when he felt two tiny pair of hands encircle his waist. _Speak of the devil,_ Nathan smirked even wider. _

"_I've been waiting for you.." Nathan said softly._

"_So have I."_

_Nathan immediately tensed up when he realized that the voice he heard was not Haley. He quickly turned around and found Rachel behind him, a huge grin plastered on her face._

"_Rachel.. what're you doing here?"_

"_I figure we can cut dinner and head straight into dessert."_

"_You have to get out.. NOW!" Nathan ordered as he pushed her out of his bath tub. He quickly grabbed a towel for himself and one for Rachel._

"_Eager to get started huh?" Rachel smirked._

"_Rachel.. you need to go!" _

"_But Nathan.."_

"_No.. get your things and go!" Nathan secured his towel and forced them out into his bedroom. _

"_What're you doing here?" Rachel asked annoyed when she caught site of who else was there._

_Nathan's heart sank as he saw Haley standing there, a look of disbelief evident in her eyes. _

"_Haley.. I.."_

"_You're busy." Haley quickly said, trying her best not to burst into tears. "I thought we were had tutoring today.." She quickly mumbled and bolted out of the room. Nathan wanted to run after him but the towel around his waist didn't cover much and he was sure the neighbors would get a thrill of seeing him running around half naked chasing Haley. _

_Rachel turned around, very pleased with herself. "Now, where were we?" She let her towel slip. _

_Nathan's eyes grew dark._

"_You were just leaving." Nathan said coldly as he grabbed some clothes and headed back into the bathroom and slammed the door, then locked it. _

_Rachel stood there, naked and totally confused. _What the hell just happened?

"_Wait, are we still on for dinner?" She called out._

"_GET OUT!" Nathan barked while he quickly changed._

_. . . . ._

_Haley's legs were tired and her eyes puffy from all the crying. It had been a few hours since she left Nathan's house. She just walked aimlessly around town trying to make sense of it all. She couldn't believe what she saw when she got there. It made her want to throw up. She knew Nathan had been with other girls and it had been easy to dismiss that before but to actually see it for herself was too much to bear. Maybe she was wrong about Nathan and maybe it was a good thing she kept a part of her closed off to him. _

_She was so tired, she just wanted to crash in bed and not think about Nathan anymore. But she opened the door to her dark room, she noticed the window open and knew she wasn't alone._

"_What're you doing here?" She asked bluntly as she turned on the lights and found Nathan sitting on her bed._

"_I was looking for you.. I"_

"_You found me." She interrupted. "Now you can go."_

"_Hales.. about earlier.."_

_Haley instantly flinched when she heard him use such an intimate form of her name. _

"_Whatever." She huffed out._

"_Nothing happened.. she just showed up."_

"_So some girl just shows up randomly in your shower." Haley found that hard to believe._

"_YES!" Nathan defended to himself. "Look, she completely blind sided me.. nothing happened though, you have to believe me." He pleaded with puppy dog eyes. Haley stared into his blue orbs and she found himself believing that maybe he was telling the truth. Yet the image of him and her running out of the bathroom with nothing but towels wrapped around them was too much._

"_Well obviously nothing happened, I'm sorry I came in and cockblocked." She rolled her eyes._

"_Nothing happened!" Nathan grew frustrated. "Like I said, she just showed up."_

_Haley sighed. "Okay.. fine.. but.. but why was she even there." Haley shook her head._

"_. . . ."_

_Haley looked up at him, his face a mask of guilt._

"_Nathan.. why was she there?" She asked a bit more seriously._

"_We.. were going to have dinner later."_

"_Like a date!?"_

"_No.." He shook his head and sighed. "Yeah, like a date."_

"_I can't believe this." Haley whispered to herself._

"_Look, you were out with Chase.. you said we should date other people."_

"_Oh I'm sorry.. I didn't know your dates consisted of shower sex, but then again you are Nathan Scott."_

"_What the hell is that supposed to mean?" He got up, feeling heated. "You're the one that said we should date other people, so I did."_

"_So I guess I should hop into the shower with Chase!"_

"_What?! NO!"_

"_You're right Nathan, it's my fault Rachel fucking Gatina showed up in your shower."_

"_That's not what I meant." Nathan threw out._

"_You know what.. it doesn't matter.. you were right, I did say we should date other people."_

"_Hales."_

"_Nathan don't.. you were right okay.. I have no reason to be mad or upset.. what you want to do with your own time is none of my business." _

_Nathan sighed in frustration, he wanted so badly to go up to her, kiss her, hold her and never let go. He wanted to tell her that she wanted her, only her and to hell with this whole sneaking around but the word wouldn't come out and he doubt Haley would believe him at this point._

"_Listen Nathan.. I'm tired.. I'm going to get some sleep." She said more calmly._

_He had to try to make amends, to do something._

_Nathan nodded. "Look, tomorrow.. you want to do something?"_

"_I'm busy." She quickly lied._

_He had to think fast, he was going away this weekend with Lucas and guys to the Bobcats game and he would be climbing off the walls the whole weekend if this thing, whatever it was with Haley wasn't settled before them. _

"_Look, I got that basketball trip with Lucas and the guys."_

"_Yeah.. have fun." She rolled her eyes._

"_Maybe I shouldn't go.. I can stay here and we can do something.. just the two of us." He sounded so hopeful and for a second, she let herself get weak and ponder the suggestion._

"_No.." She shook her head. "I have plans."_

"_You do?" _

"_Yes .. I have something to do in my life doesn't revolve around you." She bit out but she instantly regretted the harshness of her voice. But that was the truth, her life had been revolving around him and it was time to get some of herself back. She felt bad when she saw the hurt look Nathan had on his face but just as quickly she shook those thoughts off._

"_Peyton and I are seeing this concert.. so go have fun with the guys." She said softly. _

"_I'll.. I'll see you when I get back." It was more of a question than a statement. _

_Haley only offered him silence and she stepped inside her bathroom to change. Nathan shook his head and dejectedly left her house, still feeling completely in limbo. _

. . . . .

The Present

"Brookie!!!" Haley sing songed as she stepped inside Brooke's room, her arms carrying her things for tonight's prom.

"Well well .. look at you all happy and cheery." Brooke turned away from the vanity.

"Nathan came to see me." Haley said happily.

"Thank God!" Brooke sighed in relief. "So tell me what happened, did he finally confess his undying love."

"I wouldn't call it that." Haley replied. "But he did confess everything.. he told me he loved me and I told him back." Haley was practically squealing. She had been on Cloud 9 ever since Nathan left her house. Things were finally going their way.

"Aww Hales!" Brooke came up to hug her. "I'm so happy for you.. it's about time Boytoy put his act together.. I swear to God I was ready to kick his ass earlier."

"Wait.. you saw him?"

"Yeah.. I hope you didn't mind. You were so upset after I last saw you."

"No.. no.. it's okay.." She said softly.

"Look the boy had doubts, he just needed someone to set him straight."

Haley smiled. "You're right Brooke. . . he was scared.. he told me himself… I'm scared too.. but at least we got everything out in the open and are FINALLY together.. and now we're going to the prom together."

"OHH!! That's so great.. Nathan finally kicked Rach-ho off to the curb."

"Yeah.. you think she's going to be pissed."

"I'm counting on it." Brooke smirked.

"Yeah.. me too." Haley giggled. Rachel annoyed her to no end, why she forced Nathan onto her was something she would never understand.

"Wow.. you two together.. finally!" Brooke repeated.

"Finally, what?" Peyton entered the room.

"Naley are finally together!!" Brooke squealed.

"Naley?" Haley and Peyton both asked at the same time.

"Nathan plus Haley equals Naley.. duh?" Brooke replied as if everyone should know that.

They gave Brooke a questioning look before Peyton looked at Haley, eager to know what has been going on. Ever since last night, she didn't know what to think.

"Wait.. so you and Nathan are together? Like together _together_?"

"YES!" Haley said proudly.

"Oh my God.. I can't believe this." Peyton replied, more surprised than anything. She figured that her and Nathan were probably just hooking up but then again Peyton figured Haley wasn't that type of girl. "WAIT! You have to tell me everything." Peyton looked over to Haley.

Haley took a deep breath and as the three got ready for prom, Haley told Peyton everything that's happened between her and Nathan.

"Holy crap.." Peyton was still in shock.

"I know .. me and Nathan, pretty wild right." Haley responded.

"Yeah.. that." Peyton replied. "Plus the fact that I can't believe Brooke was right all along."

Brooke just smirked. "Never doubt me." And all three girls flew into laughter.

. . . .

"Oh my God.. what am I going to do, Julian's flight is delayed cuz of the stupid rain. What am I going to do?" Brooke panicked after hanging up the phone after calling the airline. Julian was flying in from LA and was supposed to be her date for the prom. "There is no way I can go to prom alone."

"Well Haley has two dates." Peyton was quick to point out.

"Yeah.. I'm sure Lucas.." Haley spoke up.

"Don't!" Brooke threw her hands up. "I see that look the two of you have."

"But Brooke.. this is perfect.. it's like a sign.."

"Sign?"

"Yes." Peyton added. "Look, don't tell us that there is nothing going on between you and Lucas.. the way you guys would always find yourselves alone together and those intimate talk we keep interrupting."

Brooke looked to Haley for support but found none.

"Nothing's going on.. besides.. we only hooked up that one night at New Year's."

"Well, I think you're due." Peyton quipped.

"Guys!" Brooke pouted.

"Look Brooke, if you haven't noticed, I've been the Queen of denial." Haley spoke up.

Brooke huffed, no arguments there and Haley rolled her eyes slightly.

"Look, I'm just saying .. look at all the times Julian's flaked on you.. I think you've been using him as an excuse to hide behind when it comes to Lucas or any guys for that matter. And besides, I do have two dates and I can pretty much guarantee that Lucas wouldn't mind having you as his date for tonight."

Brooke stayed silent fort a moment as a slow smile crept on her face.

Haley laughed and smiled. "I knew it!! Oh tonight's going to be so much fun.. I just know it!"

. . . . .

"Hey Luke, what's up?" Nathan picked up his phone.

"Care to tell me why your _girlfriend_ is making sure I bring a corsage, making sure it's red roses?"

"Say it again."

"Say what?"

"The part where you call Haley my girlfriend." Nathan laughed.

Lucas rolled his eyes. He still was getting used to the whole thing. "I can't believe 24 hours ago I was trying to convince Haley to go to your party… so care to tell me why Haley is so demanding?"

"I have no clue but she did text me.. we're picking her up at Brooke's."

"Brookes?!"

"Relax Luke."

"Yeah.. how would you like it if found out Haley was taking Chase to the prom."

Nathan instantly cringed. "Oh yeah.. isn't Brooke taking that Julian guy."

"Yeah.." Lucas rolled his eyes, just what he needed.

"I thought you were over Brooke." Nathan was quick to point out.

"Shut up.. anyways.. I also called to ask if met up with Daunte."

Nathan nodded and carefully answered. "Yeah.. I umm took care of it."

"What happened?"

"What do you mean what happened?"

"That tone in your phone." Lucas explained. "Did something else happen?"

"No, everything went okay.. I just had this weird feeling though."

"What isn't weird about this whole situation?" Lucas huffed out.

"I don't know.. it's probably nothing.. I had a feeling that someone was watching me."

"Don't be ridiculous."

"You're right I'm just being paranoid. Now that Haley and I are together, I just want to put this whole thing behind me."

"You know you have to tell her Nate."

"I know.. I will just not tonight."

Lucas nodded. Haley seemed so happy when he saw her earlier, she didn't need this, not tonight. "I'm not going to argue with you there, but you have to tell her soon."

"I will.. anyways.. I'm going to get ready."

"Ok, yeah me too.. this night should definitely be interesting."

Nathan thought about finally being out in public with Haley without any more hiding, "Yeah, it will be."

To Be Continued . . . . .


	16. Chapter 16

Behind the Scenes

Chapter 16

Thank you all for your reviews last chapter, it helps keep me motivated to tell the rest of this story. Writing any scene with Nathan and another girl is always hard on my part but it was in the past and Nathan was clearly not into it. Last chapter was fun because I finally go to switch things around. In the past, Nathan and Haley seemed to be doing okay and in the present they were on the rocks. Now, we're entering the time period closer to the infamous sex tape and of course we have prom, hehe. If you read chapter 1 and maybe 2 over again, you'll see the correlations.

I realized I didn't have much for Peyton in this story, but she will be playing a bigger role. I know you guys are expecting something big and I hope I deliver and can still surprise you. If you read my AN for mother one shot I just posted called "Officer Scott" I wrote this chapter and the next one back to back. This chapter is longer than usual and I was about to break it apart but decided it worked better with everything. This might be an informational overload, but I don't want to say anymore, you can ready for yourselves. Next chapter will help bring ties things even closer with Chapters 1 and 2. Also, please check out my other story Stillness that I updated recently. I'm also going to try and updated the Mourning After as well. I've had new inspiration come to me to help me finish that story up. I had an absolutely terrible day at work on Friday and I know tomorrow will suck even more, it's actually getting me stressed and writing has helped me relieve some stress.

Enjoy and of course, please review !!!

. . . .

"Would you relax, man?" Nathan bitched at his brother.

"Because going to prom with my best friend and my brother is exactly how I envisioned this night would be!" Lucas said sarcastically.

Nathan just smiled and shook his head.

"You know something." Lucas turned to his brother, Nathan seem to have this look in his eye.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Nathan already sounded guilty.

"You do know something.. now can you tell me why we're picking Haley up early? If that's not already bad enough but now I got to see Brooke with some tool from California." Lucas rolled his eyes.

"Relax Luke."

"Whatever." Lucas pouted and then looked at Nathan's hands. "I thought I said I was the one to get the corsage, Haley can't wear two!"

Nathan just smirked. "Well, you can throw yours away."

"What.. no I spent $30 on this crap."

Nathan shrugged as they walked up Brooke's steps and he rang the doorbell. A moment later, he heard the rattling of foot steps and Peyton opening the door.

"Well look who it is." Peyton smiled as she took in the site of the devastatingly handsome Scott brothers. "Looking sharp guys." Peyton led them inside.

"Thanks." Both brothers muttered as they straightened out their tuxedos.

"Aren't you supposed to be getting ready?" Lucas asked. Peyton was still in a pair of jeans and a flannel shirt, but her hair and make up were done.

"I was doing my hair and make up here but now I'm just heading out now, Skills is picking me up at my house.. see you guys there." Peyton waved off as she left. She opted to go simple for prom, not wanting to deal with any emotional baggage, she decided to go with a friend as opposed to someone who could be _more. _She wanted to go with Jake, but she knew how busy he was and if he came it would open up a whole other bag of worms that she wasn't ready to deal with. At the end of the day, he still had to go back to Jenny in Savannah and she would still be here.

The sound of footsteps alerted both brothers and both were mesmerized as Haley started making her way down the stairs. In an off white satin strapless dress that hugged her torso and flowed down below her waist, she stopped at the last step to see both brothers staring at her.

"You look amazing Hales." Lucas said as he gave her a quick hug. Pulling back, Haley turned her attention to her other favorite Scott.

"Yeah.. Hales.. you look.. beautiful." Nathan said breathlessly. Haley smiled and blushed as Nathan took her hand and kissed it softly. She blushed even more as Nathan pulled out the purple lavender lily corsage he bought.

Lucas wanted to throw up at the show of public affection but he couldn't be mad or upset. Although he was still getting used to the idea of them actually together, he couldn't help but see how both of them seemed to glow around each other and the look in their eyes, there was no doubt that they were both in love.

. . . .

_Flashback_

"_That game was pretty sweet." Lucas commented as they were driving back to the hotel. The Bobcats game was in the afternoon and they were going back to their hotel to rest before going out later that night with the other guys. _

"_Yeah.. the seats were pretty good too." Nathan sounded less than enthused as he stared out of the window aimlessly, his legs shaking nervously up and down. He'd been a mess ever since he last saw Haley. She wouldn't call him back or anything. She completely shut him out and it was freaking him out. _

"_You okay man?" Lucas asked. _

"_I'm fine." Nathan shot back._

_Lucas could feel the tension radiating from Nathan, he seemed to be out of it and seemed like he wasn't too much into the game they just watched. _

"_I don't buy it.. what's up, you've been acting weird ever since we left Tree Hill."_

"_No.. I'm fine.. I've just been tired." Nathan lamented, he hadn't a decent nights sleep in what felt like ages. The only good sleep he had was when he woke up with Haley in his arms. He was such a sap but it amazed and scared him at the same time how much he needed Haley. _

_What he was going through wasn't normal and he needed to get a grip on himself. This was not like him at all and if Lucas suspected something was wrong then everyone else would see it too. He needed to get his act together and focus on something else other than Haley. _

_Trying to come up with an answer to throw off his brother, he thought of the perfect excuse. "I just realized that after this weekend it's going to be hell."_

_Lucas nodded. "I'm nervous.. last year we ended so early.."_

"_Don't worry about it man.. we'll get through it."_

"_Yeah.. it's just.. you know this is our last year and also Whitey's.. I .. I just don't want to let him down."_

_Nathan nodded. He also knew Lucas must've still felt guilty for missing the winning shot last year. _

"_You and I both." Nathan answered back. _

_Lucas cleared his throat, not wanting to go down that road again. "Look.. so you never told me what happened with Rachel?"_

_Nathan instantly cringed at the mention of her name. "Nothing happened." Nathan said softly as he rubbed his sweaty palms against his jeans while his stomach started going into knots and his heart rate sped up as he remembered the broken look of Haley's face when she caught them coming out of his shower._

"_You okay?" Lucas asked as he saw his brother looking a little pale. _

_. . . . ._

"_Waiting on line for an hour was totally worth this." Peyton gushed as she held onto the signed autograph CD of Gavin Degraw._

_Haley nodded and smiled as they made their way through the crowds. She was so glad Peyton asked her to go to this concert festival with her. Peyton also asked Brooke to come but as Brooke put it, she wasn't into all the emo-music. Haley had to laugh, they were the best of the friends but at times seemed polar opposites. They were two hours north of Tree Hill and for her the distance was what she needed. She needed to get away from everything, well most notably a certain blue eyed Nathan Scott. _

"_So who are we seeing next?" Haley asked, shaking away her thoughts of Nathan and seeing him half naked with that skank Rachel Gatina. _

"_The Wreckers." Peyton smiled. "One of the guys from the band is actually from Tree Hill."_

"_Oh really?" Haley replied. _

_. . . ._

_A little over an hour later, Peyton and Haley stood up and cheered as the band gave their final bows._

"_Weren't the great?" Peyton turned to Haley._

"_Yeah.. they were really good." Haley was pleasantly surprised. _

"_Yeah.." Peyton pulled Haley along. "Come on."_

"_Wait, where are we going?" _

"_Back stage.. like I said, I know one of the guys on the band.. he's a little bit of a jerk but he's a great musician and sort of half decent once you get through all his bluster." _

_Haley nodded, she definitely knew someone like that._

"_Chris! Chris!" Peyton shouted over the bouncer. _

"_Well.. well Peyton Sawyer." A lanky spikey haired blond guy approached them. He turned to the bouncer. "Don't worry, they're with me."_

_The bouncer stepped aside and both girls entered. _

_Peyton and Chris gave a quick hug and Chris quickly turned to Peyton's shy but beautiful friend. _

"_Well who might this be.. I'm Chris Keller but I'm sure you know that." _

_Haley gave her a weird look and looked to Peyton for support. _

"_Chris.. this is my good friend Haley.. Haley this is Chris Keller."_

"_The pleasure is all mine Miss Haley." He reached for her hand and kissed the top of it. _

_Haley gave a weak smile, she had a feeling that this would be an interesting night. _

"_Nice to meet you." Haley replied back. _

_. . . . _

_Haley picked up the lone guitar in the corner and started to strum along the cords. _

"_You play?" Chris asked as he took a seat next to her. The day all felt a little surreal, one minute they were in the crowds watching them play and now her and Peyton were hanging out with them and with other bands that performed as well as some of the stage crew. _

"_A little." Haley smiled timidly. _

"_Don't be modest." Peyton took a seat opposite them. "We've heard you play."_

"_And can you sing too?" Chris asked._

"_No!" Haley shook her head. "Only in the shower."_

"_And I remember when me and Brooke were waiting for you to get out of the shower last month to go shopping, you sounded really good. "_

"_Really?" Chris' eyes perked up._

"_No.. she's lying."_

"_Really.. well let's hear it.. I'll be the judge." _

"_Yeah Hales. .come on.. live a little." Peyton urged. Peyton wasn't a hundred percent sure but she had a feeling that inside little ol' Haley James there was a little spit fire and rock star in there._

_Deciding that it would do no harm, Haley started strumming away and started playing an old Beatle's song. She remembered one night playing it in her room and unbeknownst to her, Nathan was there by the window watching her intently. _

_When she was done playing, she looked on with Chris' and Peyton's mouth hanging open._

"_Wow Hales.. that was great."_

"_Yeah.. that was.. surprisingly good." Chris agreed. _

_Haley blushed, Nathan had the same reaction but she was sure that he was just saying that to not embarrass her but to hear it from other people, well he must've been on to something._

"_You know.. I'm going back up in a few .. I had this duet I was going to do but she backed out.. do you want to join me?"_

"_What? NO.. it's fine… I .." Haley started stammering._

"_Bull shit Haley.. do it!" Peyton urged her friend. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity and she wasn't going to let this one slip by Haley's grasp. Besides, this would mean Peyton would be in the back stage instead of being out there in the crowd. _

"_Did I mention I'm opening up for Sheryl Crow and I can probably introduce you to her."_

"_What?" Haley's jaw dropped. "Wow.. that would be.. wow.. but I don't even know your songs .."_

"_Well I was going to do a cover on 'When the Stars Turn Blue' .. you know it right?"_

_Peyton already knew that particular song was on Haley's ipod. _

"_Yes she does." Peyton answered for her. _

_. . . . ._

Present

Lucas turned his head away from his best friend and brother and onto the other beauty walking down the stairs. With her hair pulled up and wearing a dazzling red dress that hugged every inch of her, Lucas never saw anything more beautiful.

"Brooke.. you look.." Lucas was tongue-tied and Haley had to giggle to herself. Nathan reacted the same way to her just a minute ago. It still amazed her how those two are so different yet very much similar.

"Thanks Broody." Brooke flashed him a dazzling smile. She looked at his hand and saw the red-rose corsage. She took his hand and studied it more closely. "Aww Luke, it even matches my dress."

Lucas gave her a curious look and was about to say that it was for Haley, but Brooke yanked him into the living room next door to get some privacy.

"Brooke.. what's.."

"Look, Julian called… he's not going to make it tonight."

"So.. you need a back up date?" Lucas tried to hide his disappointment. Not only did his brother hijack his date, now they were passing him off to be back up for Brooke.

"Yes.. but look it's not what you think?"

Lucas squinted at her.

"Broody, open your eyes." Brooke took a deep breath. "He called to say that he was at the airport and I told him sorry but there was someone else that I want to be my date for prom."

"Brooke.. umm.." Lucas stumbled on his words.

"Look Luke, I know that there's something between us .. I don't know what it is .. if we are meant to be just friends then fine if we're meant for more then…"

"Then what?"

"Then I'm fine with that too." Brooke said with hopeful eyes.

Lucas instantly smiled as he opened the plastic box and put the corsage on Brooke's wrist.

"What.. what made you change your mind?"

"Well seeing Mr. and Mrs. Denial over there finally admitting their feelings, I knew I had to act on mine."

"Hey I heard that!!" They both heard Haley yell from the next room and they instantly started to giggle. For Lucas Scott, the night was suddenly turning around.

. . . .

_Flashback_

_It had been over a week since Haley last talked to Nathan and it was slowly tearing her up inside. She made herself scarce, taking on more shifts and sneaking trips to Raleigh with Peyton. After much convincing, Haley agreed to perform with Chris and it was amazing. But Haley being Haley, they kept it a secret and Peyton went along with it, knowing how shy Haley could be. When she was ready, Peyton was sure that Haley would let the whole world in on her talents. _

_Chris spent a couple of days in Raleigh, performing at a local nightclub before going back on the road and on tour with the rest of the band. Both girls knew it would only be a matter of time before Chris broke out on his own. While in Raleigh, Haley got up on stage and performed with Chris for a few songs with a small intimate crowd watching them. It was hands down one of the best experiences of her life and she was glad she did it. _

_It gave the distraction she needed but unfortunately it was back to reality. Chris had left and the first game of the plays offs was going to start soon. She was dressed back in her cheer leading uniform and knew she couldn't avoid Nathan any longer. _

_Walking towards the gym, she spotted Nathan talking to an older gentleman in a dark corner. He was tall black man wearing a very expensive suit. She saw him give something to Nathan, what she couldn't see and then she saw them shake hands and then the two started walking off in separate directions. Nathan stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Haley standing there. He was sure there was no one around._

"_Haley." He muttered softly, not really believing it was her. _

"_Hi." She smiled softly and an awkward silence ensued. _

"_So.. um.. who was that?" Haley tried to break the ice._

_Nathan swallowed the lump in his throat and said the first thing that came to his mind. "A scout." _

"_Oh."_

"_Look Haley," Nathan said annoyed. "What is this? First you ignore me for the past week .. now you're coming here.. what do you want from me?" He knew he sounded a little harsh but he was under a lot of pressure at the moment with the game about to start._

"_I .. I wanted to wish you good luck tonight."_

_Before Nathan could say anything another voice distracted him._

"_Hey Nathan.. good luck tonight!!" Rachel waved with some of the other cheerleaders behind her. _

_Nathan offered her a weak smile and then turned back to Haley. _

"_Yeah, Nathan.. good luck." Haley was about to walk away._

"_Hales.." He pleaded._

_Suddenly she remembered all the reasons why it wouldn't work between them. They had their fun, yes but maybe it was time to move on despite what she wanted._

"_Look Nathan .. we're different you and I."_

"_I know, what are you getting at? We've always been different."_

"_What I meant was.. I was wrong to say that we should see other people."_

_Nathan instantly felt relieved but just as quickly, it faltered._

"_But I think I was right in that we need some time a part from each other."_

"_What?" Nathan grew heated._

"_It's just that this past week.. it's been so busy.. and I know you got play offs and everything .. and now with scouts coming to see you .. I just think we both could use the time apart."_

"_Why? So you can hang out with Chase? Is that why you've been so busy lately?" Nathan said angrily. _

"_No.. it's not that." Truth be told, she'd been avoiding his calls too. She hadn't seen him since their last date. She made a mental note to call him and tell him that she just wanted to be friends._

"_Whatever.." He shook his head. He needed to get away from her or else he'd blow a fuse. If she wanted to play this stupid game, then so be it. _

_As she watched Nathan walk away and then Rachel instantly gravitating towards him, she couldn't help feel like she made a huge mistake, but one she couldn't take back. After all, it was her fault that she pushed him away._

_. . . . _

Present

After taking several pictures, the two couples made their way into the black stretch limo. Inside they took even more pictures and chatted and laughed through out the ride. The ride to the country club wasn't that long and they stepped out hand and hand towards the entrance.

"Shoot.. I left the tickets in the limo." Haley tore her arm away from Nathan.

"We'll meet you inside." Nathan called out to Brooke and Lucas as those two made their way inside.

Nathan took Haley's hand with his and walked back onto the street. All the limos were parked all the way on the other side of the parking lot.

"Wait." Nathan said as the two stopped in the street. Haley looked up at him curiously. "We both paid and they would have our names on the list." Nathan tried to point out and save them the trek of going all the way back to the limo.

"You're rig.." Haley started to speak but she was distracted by a dark car heading their way, the headlights almost blinding them.

"Nathan look out!" Haley cried out as the car seemed to be barreling towards them.

. . . .

_Flashback _

_The Ravens were on fire and if they kept it up they were sure to be headed into the state finals. Their first game was a little rocky, Nathan didn't perform like he usually did but they still managed to win by 6 points. After that, it was history as they breezed through the rest of the play offs, everyone on the team stepped up and Nathan was hotter than ever._

_Lucas showed up to Nathan's house a little earlier, the two brothers were going to go to the game together. He got out of the car and made his way towards the back but stopped short when he heard Nathan and another man talking. The voices were too far away for Lucas to hear but as he stepped closer he saw Nathan and a tall black man in a suit talking. He walked closer to them and Lucas could start hearing what they were saying._

"_Take care of yourself out there Nathan."_

"_Yes, Daunte and thanks for everything."_

_Daunte nodded. "I'll see you later." Daunte turned around and stopped when he saw the other Scott in front of him._

"_Lucas!" Nathan shifted uncomfortably. _

_Daunte threw a look at Nathan and then both of them turned to Lucas._

"_Hey Nate.." Lucas said nervously, not really sure what was going on._

"_Umm Luke this is Daunte.. Daunte my brother Luke."_

"_Yeah, I know the other Scott." Daunte smirked and extended his hand out to Lucas. Lucas shook it, noticing the strong grip the dark man had. Lucas also couldn't help but notice that he'd seen him before._

"_Hi." Lucas replied. _

"_Luke and I are heading out to the game." Nathan said quickly wanting Daunte to get going._

_Daunte gave Nathan a look and the nodded. "Good luck out there boys." Daunte said as he walked away. Both brothers looked on as Daunte got into his car, a black Cadillac and drove off._

_Lucas turned to Nathan, "What was that?"_

"_Nothing." Nathan said quickly as he put his hands in his pockets. "We should get going, let me get my stuff." _

_Lucas saw a couple of twenties sticking out from Nathan's warm up pants._

"_Wait!" Lucas shot him daggers as he reached forward and grabbed the wad of cash from Nathan's pocket. _

"_Luke.. wait!" _

"_Nathan, what the hell is this?!" Lucas held the money up. "And who the hell was that Daunte dude? He looked familiar and I couldn't point my finger on it but I noticed him sitting in the stands at some of our games.."_

"…_."_

"_Nate.. you got 5 seconds to tell me what the hell is going on?!" Lucas said with conviction. _

_Nathan sighed as he had no other choice but to tell his brother everything. Nathan explained it all and after he was done, Lucas stood there, shocked. _

"_Tell me now that this is just some sick joke!"_

"_I wish it was." Nathan replied softly._

"_Wait!" Lucas threw his hands up. "Nathan.. you can't play!"_

"_I have to!"_

"_Nathan .. I can't sit back and watch you.."_

"_Luke! The season is almost over .. please.."_

"_This is a mistake." Lucas was quick to point out._

"_I know it is but I don't have a choice."_

"_You always have a choice."_

"_Not with this .. please Lucas.. this is my life here.. I'm not asking you for anything .. just your silence.. just act like this never happened."_

_Lucas sighed, "I wish it didn't." Lucas shook his heads as his world was turned upside down in the past 10 minutes._

"_You don't have to do anything Luke.. I don't want to get you involved." Nathan said softly._

_Lucas sighed. "Daunte already saw me.. and I'm your brother Nate.. I'm already involved." _

_Who was Nathan to think otherwise, his brother was right. He had gotten Lucas involved and he regretted not telling his brother sooner._

_. . . ._

_Haley couldn't help feel that something was off. She wondered if Nathan and Lucas got into a fight or something because Lucas kept glaring at Nathan. Haley just brushed it off, it was probably due to the stress of the game. They were both under a lot of pressure and she was proud of them and the other guys on the team for making it this far. She couldn't help but feel sad. Nathan didn't need her it seemed but as each day passed with out him, she knew she needed him. They were back to their old ways of bickering and avoiding each other. Brooke tried to intervene in private but Haley would change the subject. Of course no else noticed because to them it was nothing new. _

"_Nice shot Natey!" Rachel giggled as Nathan made the basket. Haley glared at her from a few feet away and Brooke smiled at Haley sympathetically. Nathan looked at Haley expressionless and then looked to Rachel who waved enthusiastically at him and blew him a kiss. Nathan gave her a small smile and then ran back to the other side of the court. Haley shook her head, she felt like vomiting but she couldn't blame Nathan. She had only herself to blame._

_. . . . _

_After the game was done, Haley looked around. She saw Nathan with Rachel and the two of them getting into her car. She saw them drive away and her heart sank. She shook her head and saw Lucas heading out of the gym._

"_Congrats buddy!!" Haley tried to put on a smile and the two hugged._

"_Thanks Hales.. umm have you seen Nathan?"_

"_Yeah.. I saw him go off with Rachel." Haley said quietly. _

"_Hmm.." Lucas replied._

"_What is it? Were you two fighting or something earlier."_

"_Nah.." Lucas shook his head. "I just don't want him to do anything stupid." _

You and I both,_ Haley thought to herself. _

_Wanting to get off the topic of Rachel and Nathan, "So you guys are going to the finals.. this is so great.. I thought you'd be happier."_

"_Oh no.. I am." Lucas tried to shake things off. "It's just.. we can't get ahead of ourselves you know?"_

_Haley nodded and then followed Lucas gaze as he saw Brooke and Peyton talking by Peyton's car._

"_I hear she has surfer boy from California flying over for prom." Lucas said._

"_Yeah.. sorry Luke, I know how much you like her." _

"_Whatever." He shrugged. He casually mentioned Brooke not too long ago to Haley and Haley instantly knew that Lucas had caught feelings for her again. _

"_Speaking of prom, would you like to go with me?"_

"_Me?"_

"_Come on, you don't remember our pact?" _

_Haley smiled as she remembered their first day of high school when Haley had asked Luke to be her pretend boyfriend so that the other boys wouldn't bother her and how they said that they would be each other's date for senior prom._

"_I'd be honored Lucas Scott." Haley smiled at him._

"_Come on, you need a lift?" Lucas gestured over to her car._

_. . . . _

_Haley walked inside her house and up to her room where she saw the lights on. She instantly knew who was inside. Walking in casually, she wasn't surprised to see Nathan sitting down on her computer chair. _

_She put her things down and sat on the bed. _

"_Hey." He replied._

"_Hi.. good game."_

_He gave a small smile. "Thanks."_

"_What're you doing here?"_

"_I wanted to see you." Nathan replied honestly. _

_Haley nodded, not sure of what to say next._

"_Can.. can I stay here with you?" Nathan asked softly, the tone in his voice masking something else. _

_Haley couldn't say no in fact she wanted him to stay. After missing him for so long, she just wanted to be with him no matter the circumstances. Haley just nodded and then stepped inside her bathroom to change. Nathan felt relieved and removed his clothes, stripping to his boxers and getting into bed. Haley slipped in a moment later and he instantly saddled over to her and wrapped his arm around her._

"_Are you okay?" She asked._

"_Yeah.. just .. just a long night."_

_Haley could sense something was wrong. "Did something happen between you and Luke?"_

"_Umm.." Nathan replied, not sure what to say. All he knew was that he just wanted to spend sometime with the only person that mattered to him. "Just some brother stuff.. we'll be okay." _

"_Okay." Haley sensed Nathan didn't want to talk about it and she didn't want to push it._

"_Nothings going on with Rachel.. she just keeps showing up." Nathan felt the need to let that be known._

"_I saw you get into her car."_

"_I just wanted a ride home and as soon as I did, I went straight here. She's been bugging me about prom.. but umm.. I want to go with.."_

"_I'm going with Luke." She finished for him._

"_You are?"_

"_We made a pact freshmen year." She said softly. "You should go with Rachel."_

"_What? No."_

"_She's asking you.. you should go.. I .. I want you to." Haley knew it was a bad idea pushing him to Rachel but with the school year ending soon and graduation, she had to be realistic, they both were going to move on with their lives, separately, regardless of everything. It was a nice thought, him and her going to Duke together but she had to be realistic. Her guard was back up and her logical side took over. She was only 18 and still had the world at her finger tips, there would be plenty of time for boys later. _

"_Fine." He tensed up. He was too tired and exhausted to argue with her. He decided to let it go for now and concentrate just being here with Haley. Even though they won tonight, he had a shitty night dealing with Daunte and Lucas and the only way he knew to make himself feel less crappy was to be with Haley. Tomorrow they could go off and live in denial but at least for tonight, they can be together and everything else could wait._

"_I don't want to talk about her anymore.. I just .. I just want to sleep." He pulled her closer to him, holding her as if his life depended on it and in some ways, it did. Haley didn't say anything, content with just being wrapped up in his strong arms. They soon fell asleep. _

_. . . . ._

Present

Nathan stood in front of Haley as the black Buick came to a screeching halt in front of them. The car drove then swerved around them and the window rolled down revealing, Rachel glaring at them.

"Would you two watch where you're walking!" She huffed off as she drove towards the valet parking. Rachel was beyond pissed. Nathan had ordered a limo but unfortunately for her, he dumped her this morning and took her ride with it, leaving her not only dateless but with out a ride. Still, she wouldn't be mad any longer. After seeing Nathan pay off some black guy in a ridiculously expensive suit earlier and recording it on her fabulously new Blackberry, she would just get even.

"Forget about her." Nathan clutched Haley's hand tighter. "I already did."

Haley instantly smiled. To hell with Rachel, she didn't care about her, she had Nathan and that's all that mattered. They both went inside and checked in. As soon as they made their way inside the ornate ball room, it felt as though the music had stopped and all eyes were on them.

Nathan could feel Haley tense up with everyone looking at her but he held her even closer to him. "Don't worry about it." He whispered into her ear.

"How could you be so calm?"

"Well all the guys here want you, but it's too bad cuz your mine." He pointed out and Haley smiled. "And all the girls are just jealous cuz they don't look as hot as you and their dates are ignoring them.."

Haley playfully elbowed him, "You can turn off the charm, you already know you're getting some tonight." She grinned at him.

"I say we leave now then." Nathan joked but he was very serious.

Before Haley could protest, Brooke came barging towards them.

"There you are!!.. We're all taking pictures."

_Let the madness begin_, Nathan thought to himself.

. . . .

Peyton saw the text she received and then put her phone back in her purse. She tore Haley away from Nathan and their other friends and headed towards the bathroom.

"What's going on?" Haley said as they got entered the ladies room, sidestepping to let a couple of girls walk out. Peyton looked around real quick and saw the coast was clear.

"Chris texted me."

"Oh." Haley said as she made her way to the mirror to touch up her make up.

"He wants to know why you haven't gotten back to him."

". . . ."

"It's about Nathan, isn't it? I thought you were just torn about going to college."

"Peyton, it's our prom night, I don't want to talk about this now."

"Hales… this is Chris, we're talking about .. he and I both know how great you two are great together. Nathan might take it a little hard but I mean I remember all those times I went with you to Raleigh to see him.. I can see the magic there."

"I know but.."

"He's asking you to spend the summer in Europe Hales." Peyton cut her off. "Just think about it."

"You and I both know it's going to be longer than that."

"Even so, how could you think about passing this up. You know Chris, he can't hold out forever you know?"

'I know." Haley sighed.

She knew Peyton had a point, touring across Europe and playing for hundreds of people would be a dream, but she didn't want to deal with that now, especially with everything that happened with Nathan. "Peyton, can we can talk about this later, I just want to enjoy the rest of the night.. please."

Peyton threw her hands up. "Okay, fine.. just letting you know that he's been bugging me about this… _again._ We'll talk later."

Haley sighed a breath of relief. "Thank you." She said as the two stepped out of the bathroom.

Grinning to herself as she sat in one of the stalls, Rachel replayed

the recording on her phone:

"_Peyton, it's our prom night, I don't want to talk about this now."_

"_Hales… this is Chris, we're talking about .. he and I both know how great you two are great together. Nathan might take it a little hard but I mean I remember all those times I went with you to Raleigh to see him.. I can see the magic there."_

"_I know but.."_

"_He's asking you to spend the summer in Europe Hales." Peyton cut her off. "Just think about it."_

"_You and I both know it's going to be longer than that."_

"_Even so, how could you think about passing this up. You know Chris, he can't hold out forever you know?"_

'_I know." Haley sighed. _

Rachel put her phone away feeling very pleased, you got to love technology, _tonight just keeps on getting better._

To Be Continued . . . .


	17. Chapter 17

Behind the Scenes

Chapter 17

Thank you for the reviews !! I love hearing from you guys. Please check out my recently updated stories. This is the longest chapter yet, so I hope you enjoy and please review!

. . . .

Flashback

_Nathan walked over to the sidelines where the ball went out of bounce. _

"_Here you go Natey." Rachel smiled and held the ball out for him. _

"_Thanks." He replied sheepishly trying to keep his composure in line. Ever since he agreed to go to the prom with Rachel, she acted as if she were his girlfriend and seriously what the hell was up with 'Natey.'. He wanted to call the whole thing off but he couldn't. If Haley wanted to keep playing this game then so be it. He just hoped that one day soon, she'd realize to drop this whole act. _

_Sure they kept their relationship a secret but it's been going on for far too long. They were almost done with school anyways, what's the point in hiding. Who knows what the future would have in store for them but one thing he could do with out is all lies having to do with Haley._

_It was already bad enough that he seems to be juggling one lie after the other, he knew one of these days it was going to be bite him in the ass. He looked to his left and saw Haley looking at him, but he quickly looked away. He looked up in the stands and saw Daunte looking down on him. He saw the time on the clock and how the Ravens were down nearly ten points with 20 seconds left until half time. He walked back onto the court and saw his brother looking disapprovingly at him. It was getting to be all too much and he could already feel his heart racing with everything that was going on at the moment. _

"_You know, maybe you should just sit this one out." Lucas glared at Nathan and it only reminded him of how crappy his performance has been. He started to feel guilty the Ravens deserved more from their captain. _

"_Luke, I got this okay." Nathan whispered back. Nathan handed the ball back to the ref. As if it wasn't bad enough, he saw his dad from the corner of his eye taking a seat._

_Nathan was fortunate that for the past couple of weeks that Dan had been away. His grandfather on his mother's side decided to take a sabbatical and he basically forced Dan to move up to Richmond and handle his business while he was away. Dan of course couldn't say no since his grandfather bankrolled Dan Scott Motors and was legally the owner. He knew his little vacation away from his dad wouldn't last. _

_The game resumed and the clock ran out signaling the end of the first half and the Ravens were still down, this time by 12._

_Everyone on the team was nervous when they entered the locker room. They waited with anxiously for the tongue lashing they knew Whitey would give them but it never came. _

_Whitey paced back and forth for about a minute before he finally looked out onto his team. He saw their faces but at the same time, saw the countless faces of young men he'd coached over the years. He'd seen many of them start of as young skinny freshmen to young men. It didn't end with high school, he received at least a few alumni coming back to the high school to visit each month. Some of them fathers themselves and like the Scott boys Whitey just glanced at, he had a chance to coach his former players' sons. _

_He saw everything in that moment, including the wife that was long gone, who he ached for each day. There was a time and place for everything and if that day was today then so be it. He already knew that basketball would and always be second in place in his heart. He just wished that when he still had his wife that he acted that way. _

"_I've coached so many games, I lost count.. countless wins with so many loses but one thing I know for sure was that I never had a State Championship .. and take it from an old man who's been coaching longer than he should that this title is hard to come by.. look guys I don't need to yell at you or tell you what to do .. you already know what you need to do out there.. after all these months of practicing and me yelling.. you guys know. I always pictured my last game with my wife on the stands cheering me on, waiting for the game to be over so we can finally be together, just us .. I'd like to think that she's out there now.. and she'd want me to tell you all to go out there and hussle some more and pick up on D .. but I won't say that." Whitey paused and some of the team laughed, this was not what they were expecting. "Look guys some things are bigger than basketball, bigger than you or I and if by some reason we win tonight then you'll make this old man very proud and happy but if we lose, I'd still be proud either way. Win or lose, you guys are champions to me." He said confidently and without hesitation and with that he walked out, leaving each player to contemplate on what to do next._

_Nathan reached into his locker and wiped the sweat off his brow. He looked back up and saw Lucas looking at him with that look._

"_Not now Luke."_

"_Yes, now Nate." Lucas crossed his arm. "You know I want to win this just as bad as the next person Nate.. but.."_

"_I said not now!" Nathan growled and stormed off into the hallway to cool down. They only had a few more minutes left before they had to go back. _

_He turned the corner and leaned back against a lone white pillar. _

"_You're playing like crap." _

_Nathan opened his eyes and saw Haley in front of him. _

"_Gee, thanks." He deadpanned._

"_Are you okay?" She shuffled her feet, not sure if she should step closer to him or keep her distance. He made the choice for her as he moved closer to him._

"_I'm better now." He moved a strand of her hair behind her ear, a move that never failed to make her stomach flip over backwards._

"_Are you?"_

_He shrugged. "I'm just wondering.. if this is it for me.. you know .. the best it'll ever be.. captain of the team.. state championship."_

"_Nathan, you have your whole life ahead of you and college.. this is only the beginning."_

_He smiled at her, _if only that were true_. "I have a feeling that it won't be.. that this is the end." He gently stroked her cheeks with the back of her hand. _

"_It won't be." She grasped his hand in hers and she squeezed it gently and gave it a small kiss. _

"_Now go out there and give me a reason to cheer." She tried to lighten up the mood. _

"_Hales.. I .." He was so close to just falling apart, to letting her know how he feels. He doesn't know what it is but he can't get her out of his head and everything going on with Daunte and for a second he almost told her but they heard the team moving back onto the court and knew they didn't have much time._

"_You'll be great out there Nathan.. I know you will be." She squeezed his hand again and left him to his thoughts. _

_Watching her walk away from him, his heart was heavy. He wanted to go after her but he couldn't. He was already a mess and didn't want to drag her down with him. It'd be better this way he thought. . Whitey's speech replayed over in his mind. Daunte had informed him that in all likely hood that this would be his last official but to hell with everything. Who knows what will happen with him and Haley, but this game was something he could control and if he was going to go down, he was going to go down fighting. _

_He walked back onto the court amongst hollering and cheering. He passed by his brother and the two exchanged a look. "Are we going to win this little brother?"_

"_You better believe it." Nathan said confidently and with renewed energy. He glared back at Daunte who was looking at him disapprovingly. "Just give me the ball and get out of my way." He said back to his brother. _

_A few moments later, the game resumed and Lucas had the ball._

"_Luke!" Nathan called out as he ran left then right, out flanking the other opponent. Lucas saw Nathan was free and passed him the ball. Grasping it in his hands, he jumped and dunked the ball. A minute later, the Ravens had possession of the ball and Nathan took the fade away, nothing but net and just like that the Ravens starting getting back their steam. _

_Nathan pumped fists with his brother and then looked back towards the crowd and saw the same disapproving look on Daunte's face. They still had 25 minutes left on the clock and for Nathan could say with confidence that for those 25 minutes, he would be untouchable._

_. . . . ._

Present

Brooke leaned over and whispered something into Lucas' ear. His eyes went wide and he nearly choked on his drink.

"You okay man?" Skills asked.

Currently, Brooke, Lucas, Peyton, Skills, Haley and Nathan were at a round table amongst themselves finishing off their lavish dinner.

"You're lying!" Lucas turned to Brooke.

"No.. it's the truth." Brooke smiled back.

Lucas turned back to Nathan and Haley with disgust. "So when I came to your house and caught Nathan there, you weren't _tutoring_ him?"

"Broody, why did you think Nathan came in with the whip cream for?" The group started to laugh but Haley grew horrified.

"Brooke!!" Haley was so embarrassed.

"Oh gross!" Lucas shook his head. "We had icecream too… oh my God!" Lucas shuddered at the thought.

"Oh my God, Brooke, I told you that in confidence." Haley was flaming red at this point.

"Hales relax." Nathan soothed her arm. "Brooke was the one who suggested the whip cream."

The group laughed even more, sans Lucas and Haley of course.

"I'm glad you guys are having a ball even though it's at my expense." Haley spoke up.

"Well I hate to say it but you had it coming tutorgirl.. keeping your hot and steamy romance with boytoy here a secret."

"Yeah guys.. why didn't you just say anything?" Lucas replied.

"It was complicated okay." Haley spoke up. She was glad that everything was out there in the open but she didn't like being in the limelight at the current moment with all her friends busting her chops. She glared at Nathan who was just taking everything in stride. Still, she would rather take this than the whole lying and sneaking around that she's been doing for months.

"I told you guys to just come clean." Brooke added.

"We get the point." Nathan rolled his eyes. His friends were right, they were being silly, they really should've said something sooner but he knew at the start of his relationship with Haley that wasn't possible. Back then it was all so confusing and new, they weren't ready. They could've done with out the whole sex tape drama but eventually they needed to come clean.

"Besides, sneaking around was hot." Nathan wiggled her eyes. Haley blushed but even she couldn't help but laugh.

"Damn baby girl, if I knew what kind of tutoring you were offering, I would've came by the tutor center a long time ago!" Skills announced and everyone laughed once more.

"No, what I can't believe was that Brooke was right about Nathan and Haley all along!" Peyton spoke up.

"Never doubt me." Brooke replied casually.

"You got me Brooke." Peyton said in defeat. "And by the way I am thoroughly impressed that you were able to keep this a secret."

Brooke shrugged her shoulders. "I didn't say anything and I didn't even need to hit the play button on Naley's sex tape."

Everyone started laughing again and this time even Nathan was started to feel a little embarrassed by the whole thing.

"Hey, that tape has helped me through many a lonely night… owww." Nathan spoke up but was elbowed by Haley.

"I thought we weren't going to talk about that." Haley admonished.

"Yes, please .. let's not talk about it." Lucas' face was scrunched up in disgust.

"Damn, I didn't know you white folks could be so kinky." Skills added, causing laughter once again. "All this sneaking around and lying… damn.. well at least everything is out in the open." Skills added.

Immediately, both Nathan and Haley tensed up but neither noticed the other. Nathan's eyes found Lucas and Haley found Peyton's. Each of them sharing a knowing look with the other that there are indeed some skeletons still left in the closet.

"Thank God." Brooke replied back. "Let me tell you I was so close to telling someone .. such a relief."

Lucas and Peyton both went for their waters and took a sip and avoided eye contact with anyone.

Haley and Nathan went back to finishing their food. "Yeah." They both mumbled.

. . . . . .

Flashback

_Lucas looked down on the street from the rooftop and saw that the debris still hadn't been cleared up. The past few days have been a blur. After they won the state championship, it was one celebration after the other. Tonight marked the final celebrations as the town had a rally on Main Street and Karen's mom hosted a party for the team at the café. _

"_Haley said you were up here." Nathan closed the door and walked over to his brother._

"_Wow.. you and Haley are talking." Lucas teased, not wanting to waste an opportunity to stick it to his brother about being a dick to his bestfriend._

"_Whatever man." Nathan tried to ignore it._

"_Admit it, spending all this time tutoring with Haley, you're friends.. I even seen you two hug after the crowd rushed us at the game."_

"_We're not friends." Nathan spoke quickly. Being a friend was the last thing he wanted to be with Haley. "We got caught up in the moment."_

"_Speaking on getting caught up on the moment.. are you okay?" Lucas said in a more serious tone._

"_Daunte wasn't happy of course about me playing."_

_Lucas nodded. "Of course."_

"_But whatever, it's done, we won .. I just.. owe him money." _

"_So you pay him back and that's it, it's over?"_

"_It's not over Luke, you know that.. even when I pay him back, I still can't play ball and I won't be going to Duke.." Nathan shook his head._

"_I'm.. I'm sorry."_

"_Yeah.. well.. there's nothing we can do about that." _

_Lucas nodded and looked back onto the street. "Do you have enough cash? I have some in case you need."_

"_No, it's cool. I'm throwing a party next week, telling people to chip in to help cover the costs.. last time I did that, I raked in so much money.. it'll be more than enough." _

"_That.. that's good."_

"_Hey Luke, thanks..thanks for everything you know. You could've ratted me out a while ago."_

"_Don't.. don't worry about it man.. it's over now. No matter what, we're still state champions."_

"_That does sound pretty good to say." Nathan smiled back. That was a nice consolation price. "So I heard this rumor that Gilmore College is trying to recruit Whitey to coach their team."_

"_Really?"_

"_You'd think he'd let me play?" Nathan asked._

_Lucas stayed quiet. He didn't want to give Nathan some false hope, after all that's happened and what Nathan did, no way Whitey would let him play, not Whitey nor anyone for that matter. _

_. . . . _

Present

"Hey I was looking for you." Nathan approached Haley slowly.

Haley looked up and took in the sight of him. He lost the blazer and was left in his vest and bow tie. He looked incredibly handsome and sophisticated in his tuxedo. She couldn't help but smile at the sight of him.

"I just wanted some air." Haley said softly. Having her friends bust her chops about Nathan was one thing but she still felt guilty for not telling Nathan about Chris and the tour he was offering her. But they just got together after the drama of the past 24 hours and it could wait. At least tonight, they would have their night.

He took a seat next to her and he put his arm around her and she nuzzled up against him, resting her head against his shoulder.

"It's beautiful out here." She commented and Nathan couldn't help but agree. They were in a small gazebo, which over looked the water. It was dark out but the street lamps and the lights coming from the gazebo gave the place a romantic ambiance.

"Is everything okay?" He asked. He knew she'd been a little beat up after their friends were ragging on them. He was also feeling a little uncomfortable especially from the look his brother gave him. He still needed to come clean with Haley about everything but figured it could wait. She knew she would be upset with him but it wouldn't matter, he would tell her that he loves her and that he would follow her to Stanford and he could figure things out along the way.

"Yeah.. just.. just not used to all the attention you know." Haley sighed. "I'm trying to just live in the moment here with you but everyone keeps staring and Rachel and her evil eyes keep honing down on me."

Nathan chuckled. "She's just jealous babe, don't let her affect your night.. our night."

Haley smiled and snuggled closer to him. "You're right, it's our night.. I want to remember this moment.. this gazebo, the lights the stars.. the water and most of all.. how much I love you right now." Her big brown eyes looked up at him and his heart melted.

"Tell me a secret." She wrapped her arms tighter across his trim waist.

"Dangerous." He chuckled, though he wasn't far from the truth.

"It scares me how much I love you." He admitted.

"Really?"

"Yeah.. I mean it took yelling at Lucas this morning for me to realize it but on some level I always knew I loved you even though I couldn't admit it and when we were apart, it killed me."

"It killed me too."

"Winning the championship game.. that … that was a dream come true and I wanted nothing more than to kiss you silly."

Haley giggled, she felt the same way.

"You're the one I want with me when my dreams come true.." Haley said softly and Nathan smiled and kissed the top of her head. "And when they don't.. I want you there anyway."

Nathan chuckled. "I feel the same way."

The two of them sat there for moment, basking in the others presence, in their own little world where nothing would affect them. They wanted to hold onto that peace just a little longer because they both knew it wouldn't last.

. . . . .

Flashback

"_Oh my God, you scared me Nathan!" Haley clutched her chest as she entered her room._

"_Sorry." He mumbled as he took a seat on her bed. "I umm.. I haven't seen you much."_

"_Been busy." Haley shrugged, "plus I know everyone wants a piece of the captain and MVP of the Ravens." Haley teased._

"_Does that everyone include you?" Nathan asked._

"_. . . ." _

_Sensing tension in the air, Nathan cleared his throat. "I still can't believe we won."_

"_I know.. I'm so proud of you guys."_

"_Thank you." Nathan said genuinely. Ever since they won, he received nothing but accolades including from his own father. Although his dad did ruin the moment by mentioning his horrible first half. Still he wouldn't let it get to him, Dan had to go back to Richmond and he would be there for a few more weeks before his grandparents returned from their Mediterranean cruise._

"_So.. what's up?" Haley asked hesitantly._

"_I umm.. need your help."_

"_Okay?"_

"_With practices and play offs, I've sort of slacked off in school."_

"_Sort of?" She raised an eyebrow._

_Nathan chuckled. "I completely slacked off.."_

"_So you want me to tutor you?"_

_Nathan nodded._

"_I don't know Nathan."_

"_Hales.. please you gotta help me.. I mean.. I got to graduate right? Remember at the game when you said that this would just be the beginning.. well it's going to end pretty quick if I don't graduate high school."_

_Haley sighed, knowing she couldn't get out of this one not like she needed much convincing anyways_

"_Thanks Haley.. you're a life saver." He smiled and on instinct, reached out and hugged her tight. Haley melted in his arms and her stomach filled with butterflies. _

"_Hales.. I" Nathan reached out and cupped her chin and then leaned over. He'd miss her terribly and he knew he couldn't stay away from her. His lips moved forward and captured hers. He was so happy she didn't break away and before they knew it, she was lying on her back with him on top of her. It had been far too long and both of them far too weak to stop what their bodies and more importantly, what their hearts craved.. each other. _

_After their bodies were spent, they just laid there wrapped up in each other's arm, content with letting their own tiredness take over. Their peaceful silence was cut off with Nathan's cell phone going off. _

_After the tenth ring, Haley had enough. _

"_Aren't you going to get that?" Haley sat up._

_Nathan groaned and then got up. He looked around for a moment to see where Haley had thrown his jeans. It was on the other side of the room and he bent down, much to Haley's delight, to answer it._

"_What?" He asked rudely, wanting to kill the person on the other line for interrupting his Haley time. _

"_No.. I'm busy.. yeah." Nathan rolled his eyes wanting this conversation to be over. ".. the limo is set .. ok fine.. yeah see you at the party tomorrow." He hung up and immediately went back to Haley. _

"_Who was that?" She asked._

"_No one." But Haley gave him a look which meant that she already knew who it was. Her loud screeching voice couldn't be contained._

"_It was Rachel." Nathan said softly._

"_Oh." Haley replied confirming her suspicions. "I'm tired.. I think I'm going to get some sleep." She pulled the covers up and turned to her side. _

"_Haley..." He replied._

"_It's getting late." Haley turned off the lamp, not wanting to discuss this any further. Nathan resigned and slipped into bed next to her but hesitated in pulling her to him. He was right next to her but felt a million miles apart. _

"_This doesn't change anything Nathan.. tomorrow we'll both be back where we started." Haley said softly in the dark._

"_Maybe." Nathan replied softly and the two went into an uncomfortable sleep. _

_The next day_

"_I never said that but what I was going to say was.. do we have to go?" Haley whined, putting down the magazine that she was just looking at. "I mean we can go watch a move or something.. we're going to the prom tomorrow night anyways.. isn't that enough partying?"_

"_See .. and you wonder why people call you tutorgirl.. come on Hales.. it's the end of senior year.. live a little." Lucas shot back._

"_I do." Haley said with confidence. She was definitely living it up last night when Nathan came over. Things were always so confusing when it came to him._

"_It's just, do we have to go to one of _his _parties?" Haley whined again, mostly because she knew from Nathan's previous phone call that that bitch Rachel would be there. _

"_It's bad enough I have to see him more so I can prepare him for finals.. now I gotta go to some stupid party he's throwing." She hated Nathan for guilting her into helping him study for finals. _

_Sure they called their little encounters they called "tutoring sessions" where they actually did study but it would take thirty, an hour tops before Nathan caved and thought doing homework was boring and his lips would be on hers. She had a feeling Nathan didn't need help with finals but just wanted to spend time with her and for a second Haley wondered why that was a bad thing. _

"_You know.. you'd think that after you started tutoring him that you two would finally get along."_

"_We do get along.. it's just that I don't want to see him outside our tutoring sessions, seeing him there is plenty." She hated lying to Lucas but at this point it was as if it was second nature._

"_Hales.. I know you're still a little sore at him for you know all that stuff last year .. but come on.. he's.. you know.." Lucas started to think about everything he's been through with Nathan these past weeks, especially with Daunte._

"_He's what?"_

"_My brother.." Lucas mumbled. Next to Haley, Lucas had considered Nathan to be one of his best friends but it's not like he liked to announced it to the world. _

"_Well who would have thought that a year ago that you would finally acknowledge Nathan Scott as your brother." _

_Lucas shook his head. She was right and he couldn't believe how he'd stuck out his neck for him. He thought about all the fights they had last year up and then everything that led to now. They certainly did come a long way. He did wish thought that Nathan and Haley could actually get along. _

"_Ha ha very funny.. look I admit I hated him even more after I joined the team.. he was an ass."_

"_I'm not doubting you there."_

"_But I got to know him better and yeah, he's not that bad of a guy.. come on you must know that.. you've been spending a lot of time with him."_

"_Yeah and I can say for she that he's still an ass." Haley replied biting her tongue and not saying what a nice ass that was. _

_Lucas shook his head amused, wondering if one day they could ever get along. _

"_Come one Hales.. let's get going."_

_. . . . _

_Haley wished she never played that game. Whoever thought about a game called _I never_, she thought to herself. She shifted uncomfortably when Peyton said "I never went to a concert." Peyton threw her a look, she knew what that was. Chris had asked her to go on tour and she still hadn't given a response. Worse was when Rachel made that stupid sex comment. She was at least glad Brooke was there for moral support. She would be lost if she didn't have Brooke to talk to all these months. She couldn't stand it anymore and had to get away from there. She couldn't believe she was crying but all the lies and sneaking around, it was finally getting too much for her._

"_Are.. are you okay?" She heard Nathan ask as he took a seat next to her._

"_I'm fine.."_

"_You're a little high on yourself, aren't you? Going around telling people you're all fine."_

_Haley looked at him and couldn't help but smile at the corny joke._

"_I saw what happened back there .. I'm .. I'm sorry."_

"_God, I'm so sick of how everyone just thinks of me as just Haley.. tutorgirl.. straight A student .. _the virgin_."_

"_You're a good person Haley, you shouldn't take that as an insult.. I mean .. look.. look what you did to me.. before you I umm.."_

"_Couldn't write a proper essay." Haley teased._

"_More than that." He said softly and their eyes met and she could feel herself slipping away. The moment was gone when she heard a couple of people nearby. _

"_Just so you know.. I don't think you have chicken legs.." Nathan smirked. He heard the comment Rachel made about Haley's legs. The girl was so clueless sometimes. _

"_God.." She rolled her eyes but couldn't help but laugh. "Well would you look at us.. sitting here laughing.. I wonder what Lucas would say." Here they were publicly getting along._

"_He'd probably think he was in the Twighlight Zone." He tried to joke._

"_Yeah." She sighed and looked down. "Would.. it be so bad if we did .. umm. You know get along?" Haley looked up at him._

"_You tell me.." He responded carefully as he nervously shuffled his hands. She was the one who wanted to keep things a secret and basically shut him out. Just then he glanced at his watch and a smirk formed on his face._

"_I.. umm.." Haley was going to say how she wanted to put an end to this charade and just go with it and be together. "What?" She asked when she saw Nathan smiling. "What's so funny?" _

"_Just wait 5 seconds." _

"_Huh? What're you … AHH!!" She screamed as the sprinklers started going off. _

"_Come on Hales.. I thought you liked the rain." He teased, remembering the time it rained and they went to the carnival. But Haley was pissed and he took off._

"_Come back here!" She yelled and the two were running around like little kids. _

_Finally, she got a hold of him and he grabbed her wrists so she would stop punching him. Their eyes locked and the water poured over them. _

_Not being able to hold back her feelings any longer, she rushed into his arms and kissed him furiously. He smiled back wanting to kiss her more but he had to draw the lines. This was it for them, no more lying._

"_Hales.." He broke his lips away from her. "I want to tell Lucas.. I want to stop this whole charade and just come clean."_

"_Nathan.. I.."_

"_Look Hales, you maybe fine with keeping this a secret but I'm not.. there's something between us and you'd be lying if you don't see it."_

"…" _Haley looked back up on him, the both of them were soaked at this point but she didn't care. He finally wanted to finally go public about them, no more lying, no more sneaking around. She answered him by giving him a kiss. _

_She smiled against this mouth. "I'm sorry about Rachel." She mumbled. _

"_I already forgot her.. you're the one I want to be with.. I just kept her along cuz I was waiting for you to come to your senses."_

_She smacked him playfully. "So this is it? We're really going to try here."_

"_Yeah, Hales.. we'll tell Lucas… it might not go down so well but.." _

"_I know.. we'll tell him.. tonight."_

"_You sure?" He asked._

"_Yeah.. why keep lying to him?" Haley knew it was time. It may not be the best of timing but she realized that there never was. Like they said, there was no time like the present._

"_Okay, at the end of the party.. I have a feeling he'll be a little pissed."_

_Haley nodded and kissed him once more. "I think you're right.. come on, let's go back inside.. I'm starting to get cold."_

"_Wait." Nathan halted her, and kissed her once more. _

_A moment later, they tore their lips away from each other and went back inside the house. They both wondered why everyone was gathered around the TV. _

"_What's this?" He spotted Tim._

"_The basketball reel we made, remember?" _

_Before Nathan could respond, Lucas spotted them. "Dude, what happened to you guys?" _

"_Sprinkler incident." Haley glared at a grinning Nathan._

"_Do I even want to know?"_

_Both Nathan and Haley were about to say something but they stopped when they saw Nathan and Peyton on the television. _No, no, _Nathan thought to himself. _

_Just then, Peyton came walking in and, but she couldn't get through the crowd fast enough though. The scene changed and a shirtless Nathan came on the screen, his back against the camera as he was making out with someone on his bed._

"_Turn it off !!" Peyton screamed as she finally made her way through the crowd. Once Nathan saw what was going on, the whole crowd started going wild and he pushed through the crowd to try to turn off with Haley and Lucas right behind him, but the damage was already done as the crowd gathered around the tv and it was hard to get through._

_Everyone was stunned silent when Nathan's back moved away from the camera and the girl who was not Peyton showed up on the screen._

"_Come on, I can't believe I'm doing this." A bra-clad Haley said, looking at the camera. "I would die if anyone saw this, Nathan." Haley said over the TV._

_Haley instantly had a sinking feeling and looked at a terrified Nathan._

"_Don't worry, no one will ever know." Nathan smirked for the camera._

"_But the party.." Haley tried to protest._

"_It's okay, Lucas is bonding with his new teammates." Nathan said breathlessly as he leaned over and the two shared another sizzling kiss. Nathan's hands roamed to the clasp of Haley's bra but Nathan stopped the tape before it could go further._

_Lucas was shocked and stunned. He looked over to an equally shocked and embarrassed Haley and then over to his supposed brother, who was looking back at him with a pleading look._

"_Look, Luke that wasn't what it seemed, well yeah but.." Nathan stuttered but before he could get another word out, Lucas' fist came barreling into Nathan's jaw, knocking Nathan to the ground._

"_Lucas!" Haley exclaimed as she tried to stop him. But Rachel, grabbed her arm._

"_Oh no you don't!!" Rachel glared as she slapped Haley._

. . . . . .

Present

"I'm just going to get a drink." Haley left Nathan's side when they got back inside. He wondered why a crowd had gathered around the dance floor.

"Ok, I'll be here." He placed a kiss on Haley's temple much to the disappointment of a couple of girls a few feet away. Nathan smirked at the sight.

"Hey Natey." Rachel smiled.

"It's Nathan." Nathan deadpanned.

"Ok, Hi Nathan."

"Look, what do you want?"

"What? I can't say hi?" Rachel tried to sound innocent.

"Ok, you said Hi.. now I'm saying bye."

"A little rude, aren't we?"

"Look Rachel, I'm not in the mood. I'm sorry I said I was going to take you to prom. I should've never agreed to it in the first place."

"That's okay.. it's a shame though, we could've been quite an item."

"I doubt that." Nathan said with confidence.

From across the room Haley turned around to look back at Nathan. She instantly tensed up once she saw him talking to Rachel.

"You okay there buddy?" Lucas asked, coming up next to her.

"Yeah.. I'm good." Haley smiled at him and she grabbed her drink and walked briskly back to Nathan.

"WHO THE FUCK IS CHRIS!?!" Nathan demanded once Haley was in earshot. Haley froze at her spot, unsure of what to say or do.

Lucas watched on as Haley walked towards Nathan, while Rachel left him and went towards the stage. He watched curiously as his brother put away his cell phone and he could tell his brother was pissed, about what he didn't know. Haley came walking towards him and it seemed that they were having an argument. He stayed where he was though. They probably could use some privacy and he hoped that everything was okay. His attention turned when he heard Rachel on the microphone.

"And this year's prom king.. Nathan Scott!!" Rachel announced. Lucas was too wrapped up in watching Nathan and Haley that he barely registered her talking on the microphone. He wasn't at all surprised when she announced Nathan as prom king and Haley as prom queen. Lucas looked back at the stunned couple. There was something was wrong, they both looked like they were going to loose it.

"And to honor our prom king, who also happens to be our MVP and Captain of the state championship Ravens.. I put together a little clip." Rachel announced to their whole class.

Mouth looked at her curiously, "What clip?" He tried to whisper to her.

Rachel hit play and stepped aside.

Lucas saw his best friend and brother standing in the middle of the dance floor. He started walking closer to the stage but froze once he saw what was on the screen. Lucas dropped his own drink to the ground, the contents spilling around him as he watched his brother and Daunte on the projector screen. Daunte had just handed him some pills and Nathan pulled out a wad of cash and gave it to him.

_No, no!! _Lucas thought to himself, trying to move faster through the crowd but it was too late. He didn't even hear what Rachel was saying, all his focus was on Nathan. He watched in horror as Nathan clutched his chest and then immediately fell to the ground.

"Nathan!!" Lucas shouted as he made his passed a shocked Haley and tended to his brother side.

"Someone call an ambulance!!" Lucas yelled as everyone was too stunned to make a move or a noise.

"Lucas, what's going on?!" Whitey raced forward with Principal Tuner behind him.

"He's going into cardiac arrest!" Lucas looked up at Whitey.

"What.. ho.. how?" Whitey kneeled down beside the brothers.

"Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.." Lucas said breathlessly, his own tears starting to fall, noticing his brother no longer breathing. "He has HCM!" Lucas cried out as he tried to find a pulse on his brother.


	18. Chapter 18

Behind The Scenes

Chapter 18

Your responses blew me away, thank you !!! I'll have more to say next chapter since this chapter helps to fill in some more gaps. The flashbacks in this chapter involving Nathan and Lucas were all presented in previous chapters but you get the full converation. Sorry for the delay, real life as you can imagine. Thank you again for reading and please review!!

. . . .. .

"_That game was pretty sweet." Lucas commented as they drove back to the hotel. The Bobcats game was in the afternoon and they were going back to their hotel to rest before going out later that night with the other guys. _

"_Yeah.. the seats were pretty good too." Nathan sounded less than enthused as he stared out of the window aimlessly, his legs shaking nervously up and down. _

"_You okay man?" Lucas asked. _

"_I'm fine." Nathan shot back._

_Lucas could feel the tension radiating from Nathan, he seemed to be out of it and seemed like he wasn't too much into the game they just watched. _

"_I don't buy it.. what's up, you've been acting weird ever since we left Tree Hill."_

"_No.. I'm fine.. I've just been tired." Nathan lamented, he hadn't a decent nights sleep in what felt like ages. What he was going through wasn't normal and he needed to get a grip on himself. This was not like him at all and if Lucas suspected something was wrong then everyone else would see it too. He needed to get his act together and focus on something else other than Haley. _

_Trying to come up with an answer to throw off his brother, he thought of the perfect excuse. "I just realized that after this weekend it's going to be hell."_

_Lucas nodded. "I'm nervous.. last year we ended so early.."_

"_Don't worry about it man.. we'll get through it."_

"_Yeah.. it's just.. you know this is our last year and also Whitey's.. I .. I just don't want to let him down."_

_Nathan nodded. He also knew Lucas must've still felt guilty for missing the winning shot last year. _

"_You and I both." Nathan answered back. _

_Lucas cleared his throat, not wanting to go down that road again. "Look.. so you never told me what happened with Rachel?"_

_Nathan instantly cringed at the mention of her name. "Nothing happened." Nathan said softly as he rubbed his sweaty palms against his jeans while his stomach started going into knots and his heart rate sped up as he remembered the broken look of Haley's face when she caught them coming out of his shower._

"_You okay?" Lucas asked as he saw his brother looking a little pale. _

_Nathan's left arm felt weak and he was having shortness of breath._

"_No.. I'm not." Nathan choked out._

Present

Nathan smiled as he watched his girlfriend, God that felt good saying, walk away. He licked his lips as he watched her heavenly curves sway left to right. He turned his head around and his smile was suddenly washed away.

"Hey Natey." Rachel smiled.

"It's Nathan." Nathan deadpanned.

"Ok, Hi Nathan." Rachel mocked.

"Look, what do you want?" Nathan cut to the point.

"What? I can't say hi?" Rachel tried to sound innocent.

"Ok, you said Hi.. now I'm saying bye."

"A little rude, aren't we?"

"Look Rachel, I'm not in the mood." Nathan took a deep breath, maybe if he played nice she would go away. "I'm sorry I said I was going to take you to prom. I should've never agreed to it in the first place."

"That's okay.. it's a shame though, we could've been quite an item."

"I doubt that." Nathan said with confidence.

Rachel trailed her fingers down Nathan's chest. "I don't think so."

"What do you want?" Nathan asked annoyed as he took a step back. "Going to try and run me and my girlfriend over."

"So you are going out with that bi.." Rachel was interrupted.

"Don't even think about finishing that sentence." Nathan warned.

Rachel held her tongue but she couldn't help but have a huge grin on her face.

"It's a shame really.. you had your chance."

"I said I wasn't interested. I was never interested."

Rachel choose to ignore him. "When I first saw you with her, I thought what the hell were you smoking.. it seems I wasn't too off base."

Nathan looked at her confused. He didn't know what she was up to and he didn't care.

"Rachel, I'm not in the mood for your mind games."

"What about Haley, I mean she is playing you."

Nathan rubbed his temples, he knew a headache was forming somewhere in there.

"I don't have time for your mind games Rachel. I'm with Haley now and I've never been more happier.. please Rachel just drop this."

"Nathan, I'm only trying to look out for you." Rachel smirked. "You know if you keep pushing me away, I might not be there to help pick up the pieces after Haley leaves you."

"Haley and I are just fine .. and the only person who should be leaving is you." Nathan was never known to be a patient guy and right now he was at his wit's end. He was already getting worked up and that's the last thing his body needed.

Reaching into her purse to get her phone, she forwarded Nathan a voice note and just as quickly, Nathan reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone.

"What is this?" Nathan asked, ready to delete it.

"Look.. just listen to it and I'm gone."

"Seriously?"

Rachel nodded and Nathan shook his head, anything to get this bitch off him.

He pressed the phone into his ear and clicked play. As he heard the message play, he was grabbing the phone so hard he thought he might break it.

Flashback

"_Lucas!" Nathan shifted uncomfortably. _

_Daunte threw a look at Nathan and then both of them turned to Lucas._

"_Hey Nate.." Lucas said nervously, not really sure what was going on._

"_Umm Luke this is Daunte.. Daunte my brother Luke."_

"_Yeah, I know the other Scott." Daunte smirked and extended his hand out to Lucas. Lucas shook it, noticing the strong grip the dark man had. Lucas also couldn't help but notice that he'd seen him before._

"_Hi." Lucas replied. _

"_Luke and I are heading out to the game." Nathan said quickly wanting Daunte to get going._

_Daunte gave Nathan a look and the nodded. "Good luck out there boys." Daunte said as he walked away. Both brothers looked on as Daunte got into his car, a black Cadillac and drove off._

_Lucas turned to Nathan, "What was that?"_

"_Nothing." Nathan said quickly as he put his hands in his pockets. "We should get going, let me get my stuff." _

_Lucas saw a couple of twenties sticking out from Nathan's warm up pants._

"_Wait!" Lucas shot him daggers as he reached forward and grabbed the wad of cash from Nathan's pocket. _

"_Luke.. wait!" _

"_Nathan, what the hell is this?!" Lucas held the money up. "And who the hell was that Daunte dude? He looked familiar and I couldn't point my finger on it but I noticed him sitting in the stands at some of our games.."_

"…_."_

"_Nate.. you got 5 seconds to tell me what the hell is going on?!" Lucas said with conviction. _

"_You remember after the Bobcats game.. how I wasn't feeling good." Nathan finally spoke up after a moment's pause._

"_Yeah.. we thought it was those hotdogs you had at the game."_

_Nathan shook his head. "It wasn't indigestion or anything… when we got back home I still wasn't feeling too well so I went to a doctor and he ran some tests and that's when he told me."_

"_Told you what?" Lucas was getting nervous._

_Nathan took a deep breath. "That I have Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.." _

"_Hypo what?" Lucas asked, although he felt like he was going to get sick himself. _

"_Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy." Nathan repeated. "Otherwise known as HCM.. it's a heart condition Luke.. I .. I have a bad heart." Nathan finally admitted._

_Lucas stood there for the longest minute of his life, no this couldn't be true. It just couldn't._

"_No.. you're fine.. you're the best guy on our team.. how can you have a heart condition?"_

"_I don't know man.. I just do .. I was born with it." Nathan sighed. "If you noticed, my games been a little off .." Nathan thought it was spending all his time with Haley and all the drama they've been going through but it was more than that. " I've been more tired and sluggish on the court.. I thought it wasn't that serious.. but now I know my answer." _

"_But it's treatable right? You're going to be okay?"_

"_That's why Daunte was here.. he's a pharmacist working at the drug store down town.. he was friends with Tim's older brother.. he was hooking me up with meds and I pay him cash cuz if I use my parents insurance then they will know and I could kiss basketball goodbye."_

"_I don't get it.. your taking medication.. you should be fine." Lucas was trying to grasp everything._

"_I can play but if I put too much strain on my heart.. I.."_

"_You what?"_

"_You know what." Nathan gave him a look and Lucas took a deep breath processing it all in._

"_The meds help regulate my heart rate.. which is another reason why I've been playing crappy." Nathan added after a moment of silence. _

_Lucas felt as if a ton of bricks had hit him. _

"_Tell me now that this is just some sick joke!"_

"_I wish it was." Nathan replied softly._

"_Wait!" Lucas threw his hands up. "Nathan.. you can't play!"_

"_I have to!"_

"_Nathan .. I can't sit back and watch you.."_

"_Luke! The season is almost over .. please.."_

"_This is a mistake." Lucas was quick to point out._

"_I know it is but I don't have a choice."_

"_You always have a choice."_

"_Not with this .. please Lucas.. this is my life here.. I'm not asking you for anything .. just your silence.. just act like this never happened."_

_Lucas sighed, "I wish it didn't." Lucas shook his heads as his world was turned upside down in the past 10 minutes._

"_You don't have to do anything Luke.. I don't want to get you involved." Nathan said softly._

_Lucas sighed. "Daunte already saw me.. and I'm your brother Nate.. I'm already involved." _

_Who was Nathan to think otherwise, his brother was right. He had gotten Lucas involved and he regretted not telling his brother sooner._

"_I don't like this Nathan, you could over do it and collapse on the court.."_

"_Look the doctors didn't say I couldn't play basketball .. it's just that I can't go at it like how I used to.. I know the speech Luke.. Daunte already told me a million times. I know I can't play professionally any more but God Luke.. we're so close to championships.. please Luke just do me this favor.. don't tell anyone please."_

_Lucas sighed, already knowing his answer. "Fine! But the minute I see you over doing it .. I'm calling you out and I don't give a crap about what you say.. this is your life we're talking about."_

Present

"Who the fuck is Chris?" Nathan spat out as soon as Haley was in ear shot.

Haley's face fell and she put her drink down at a nearby table. She knew something had to be going on when she saw Rachel talking to Nathan.

"What're you talking about?" Haley asked carefully.

"I said who the fuck is Chris and why are you going to Europe with him?!?" Nathan was beyond piss.

"Wait, Nathan.. who told you this?" Haley started to panic.

Nathan's hands were shaking at this point. He was so mad, he was about to lose it. Haley had another guy on the side this whole time. He wouldn't have believed it since it came from Rachel, but there was no doubt that it was Haley and Peyton in that recording and it was recent.

"Peyton seems to think you guys are _magical_.. now what the fuck is going on?!?" Nathan screamed garnering the attention of some people around them but most of the crowd was focused on the stage where Rachel had gone up.

"Nathan, calm down, it's not what you think." Haley tried to plead with him.

"So you mean to tell me you didn't sneak off to Raleigh to meet up with some guy!?!"

Haley's breath was ragged, everything was happening so fast. "Yes.. but.."

"I can't believe this." Nathan shook his head and started to walk away from her and Haley started to chase after him.

"And this year's prom king.. Nathan Scott!!" Rachel announced from the stage. Nathan stopped in his tracks, _wait what?_

"And prom queen is .. surprise surprise.. Haley James." Rachel said in a less enthusiastic voice.

Both Haley and Nathan stood there in the middle of the dance floor unsure of what to do. Haley desperately needed to talk to Nathan and explain things to him.

"And to honor our prom king, who also happens to be our MVP and Captain of the state championship Ravens.. I put together a little clip."

Mouth looked at Rachel curiously, "What clip?" He tried to whisper over to her. He knew it was a bad idea letting her MC.

_What the fuck is going on? _Nathan was beyond pissed and this was the last thing he needed right now. He whipped his head around and turned to the large projector, where his face dropped. He watched in horror as he saw himself not too long ago with Daunte right in front of him. He handed Daunte some money and Daunte handed him back some pills. Everyone around them was stunned silent.

"Now.." Rachel spoke up. "You gotta wonder how Nathan was able to score so many points out there… must've been all the pills he was popping!" Rachel smirked.

Haley looked on in complete shock as was the rest of the crowd._ What the hell was going on? Nathan was a junkie, no?_

Nathan's heart was racing and his whole body was shaking. He looked around him at the disappointed and disgusted faces of everyone around him. He started to get pale and everything started going dark. In a matter of a few minutes, his whole world was gone.

His line of sight went back to Haley who also had a face of shock and confusion.

"Haley.." Nathan said softly as he clutched his chest. Haley's heart broke at the painful and hurtful expression on his face. He vaguely heard his brother calling out his name when his legs started to give way but his eyes were locked with Haley's. A moment later, he collapsed on the ground and her tear filled eyes were the last things he saw.

"Nathan!!" Lucas came barging towards Nathan's side as Haley looked on in complete shock.

Lucas was all the way in the back at the bar. As he saw the scene unfold, he immediately started to panic and rush through the crowds.

Flashback

"_So you pay him back and that's it, it's over?" Lucas asked. He was so happy to have won state championship. At least now, he could worry less about Nathan now that the season is over._

"_It's not over Luke, you know that.. even when I pay him back, I still can't play ball and I won't be going to Duke.." Nathan shook his head._

"_I'm.. I'm sorry."_

"_Yeah.. well.. there's nothing we can do about that." _

_Lucas nodded and looked back onto the street. "Do you have enough cash? I have some in case you need."_

"_No, it's cool. I'm throwing a party next week, telling people to chip in to help cover the costs.. last time I did that, I raked in so much money.. it'll be more than enough." _

"_That.. that's good."_

"_Hey Luke, thanks..thanks for everything you know. You could've ratted me out a while ago."_

"_Don't.. don't worry about it man.. it's over now. No matter what, we're still state champions."_

"_That does sound pretty good to say." Nathan smiled back. That was a nice consolation price. "So I heard this rumor that Gilmore College is trying to recruit Whitey to coach their team."_

"_Really?"_

"_You'd think he'd let me play?" Nathan asked._

_Lucas stayed quiet. He didn't want to give Nathan some false hope, after all that's happened and what Nathan did, no way Whitey would let him play, not Whitey nor anyone for that matter. _

"_I'm sorry Nate." Lucas said softly._

"_It's okay." Nathan already knew the answer. "At least you get to still play." Nathan was relieved when Lucas got tested and his results turned out to be negative._ _He was so worried that the genetic defect was also passed to his brother. He knew he needed to hell his parents about it but he would wait after the season. The doctor said that his parents were in no immediate risk. More likely, they were carriers of HCM but the gene wasn't active in them. Symptoms for it would've have manifested a while ago. _

"_Yeah.. but .. look let's just say that I wish it were me that had it, I know how much basketball means to you."_

"_Thanks Luke." Nathan smiled at him. "It did mean a lot to me.. still does.. but I guess I got to focus on other things now." Nathan stated and the image of Haley popped into his head. _

. . . . .

"Someone call an ambulance!!" Lucas yelled as everyone was too stunned to make a move or a noise.

"Lucas, what's going on?!" Whitey raced forward with Principal Tuner behind him.

"He's going into cardiac arrest!" Lucas looked up at Whitey.

"What.. ho.. how?" Whitey kneeled down beside the brothers.

"Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.." Lucas said breathlessly, his own tears starting to fall, noticing his brother no longer breathing. "He has HCM!" Lucas cried out as he tried to find a pulse on his brother.

Haley put her hands over her mouth, the tears freely flowing. She felt a pair of hands on her shoulders and looked to see Brooke and Peyton next to her, they also had tears in their eyes. Haley felt helpless as Lucas tried in vain to resuscitate his brother.

Luckily the paramedics arrived quickly and hauled Nathan into the ambulance with Lucas in tow.

The EMT ripped open Nathan's shirt and placed lead wires on his chest.

"Clear!" The paramedic announced. "Clear!" He repeated again, the site of his brother being shocked was too much for Lucas to bear.

"Come on .. come back to us… Clear!!" The paramedic said again as the voltage surged through Nathan's body, causing him to arc forward. He sighed a breath of relief when a small beeping sound was heard.

"He's going to be okay, right!" Lucas said frantically as he sat in the back of the ambulance.

"We manage to jump start his heart but he'll need surgery and we won't know more until they open him up."

Lucas nodded and hunched down. A minute later, they were in the hospital and they wheeled Nathan out into the E.R.

"What do we have?" A doctor came rushing to them.

"Male, 18 suffered from Cardiac arrest." The paramedic announced.

"He has HCM!" Lucas chimed in.

"Who are you?" The doctor asked.

"I'm his brother.. will he be okay?"

"We're going to do our best son. Now, his pulse is weak.. we need to get him into the OR now." The doctor halted Lucas from walking any further. The doctor rushed back to Nathan who was being wheeled away. The doors closed in front of Lucas and through the window he saw one last look of his brother before he turned the corner and was wheeled out of site.

It was then that Lucas stumbled to the counter behind him and in the middle of all the rush and chaos around him, he finally let himself break as he slumped down against the counter and wept openly.

Flashback

_Nathan got out of his car and walked into the dark alley behind the drug store. Daunte was already there waiting for him._

"_Thanks for meeting me Daunte." Nathan walked to him and pulled a wad of cash from his pocket. _

_Daunte nodded and took the cash from him and then pulled out a bottle of pills and handed them to Nathan._

"_Nathan, I'm glad the season is over and you're not playing anymore but these meds are expensive."_

"_I know.. I'm going to tell my parents.. soon I promise."_

_Daunte nodded, he was so scared that he was making a huge mistake by going along with Nathan's plan but now that the season was over, Nathan was out of the woods. _

"_Now these meds should last you for a few weeks.. take care of yourself Nathan."_

"_I .. I will… basketball is over anways.. thanks again for everything."_

_Nathan turned the corner and got back into his car. Before meeting Daunte, he got his tux, so he placed the pills inside his coat pocket so that way, when he had to take his next dose later, he would already have it at the prom. _

_Nathan started the car up and looked behind him to see a black Buick pull away. Nathan shook his head, the car seemed familiar but he tossed all nerves aside. He was going to the prom with Haley. He was going to focus on that._

. . . . .

"Lucas!!" Brooke came flying through the doors and she knelt down and hugged Lucas. He had sat there for many minutes while he processed everything in. He looked up and saw Haley, her eyes red and she looked as if she was going to break at any second.

"How is he?" Brooke asked as they both stood up.

Wiping his eye, "I.. I don't know.. they wheeled him into surgery."

Peyton looked over at Haley. She hadn't said anything since Nathan's collapse and her heart broke at the sight. They still didn't know what was going on.

"Luke.." Peyton said in a calm voice as she kept her arm around Haley. "You said Nathan has some sort of hypo cardiac something."

Lucas nodded. "He didn't want anyone to know.. he found out not too long ago he has a heart condition.. Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.. HCM.. I thought he was going to be okay.. basketball season is over.. there was no more stress to his heart .. he was going to be fine."

The three girls stood there shocked, this couldn't happen, especially to Nathan Scott. He was the fittest guy they knew. Lucas proceeded to tell them about everything and who Daunte really was.

"No.. no.." Haley finally choked out. "He's .. he's not sick? He's okay.. he has to be." Haley was still in denial.

"Hales.. I'm sorry.. it's true.. I've been helping him keep it a secret for the past few weeks. He said he was going to tell everyone soon.. he wanted to wait until basketball was over.. to enjoy his last season.. he wasn't going to go to Duke .. he can't play professional ball anymore.. I should've.." Lucas' voice was laced with regret but was interrupted.

"SCOTT!" A nurse came out of the ER. Lucas instantly whipped his head around and walked up to her, three girls following close behind.

"You're the brother?" The nurse asked.

"Yeah."

"Are your parents on their way?"

"We.. we're half brothers.. his … our dad is in Virginia.. I think his mom is there too."

"You need to get a hold of them."

"Is he okay?" Lucas asked panicked.

The nurse paused for a second, knowing this would be hard news to take for the young man before her. "The doctors are working on him now, but your brother suffered a major cardiac arrest.. you did the right thing by getting him here when you did."

"Is he going to be okay?" Lucas pleaded, desperate for an answer.

"I.. don't know.." The nurse paused. "I can't answer that for you at this time.. we're going to try our best but the surgery we need to perform is invasive and we need consent under North Carolina State law. Since Nathan is already a legal adult, consent maybe be given to the next closest of kin in the absence of his parents."

"Me?"

The nurse nodded. "Yes."

"Do.. do what it takes." Lucas' eyes welled up.

"Thank you Mr. Scott. We're going to do our very best to save your brother, the doctor will come to give you an update as soon as he can." And with that she took off running back to the ER.

Lucas turned and Brooke instantly wrapped her arms around him. "He's going to be okay." She padded his back.

"It's my fault.. I should've never agreed to help him .. I should've told someone.. it's my fault." He choked out.

"NO." Haley spoke up and pulled away from Peyton's grasp. He thought she was leaving him. She remembered how angry he was, how pale he looked and how he clutched his chest while he called her name before falling down.

"I was the one who he was mad at .. it's my fault!!" Haley cried as she took off running, the three of them powerless to stop her.

To Be Continued . . . .


	19. Chapter 19

Behind the Scenes

Chapter 19

Thank you for all the reviews, I know the last few chapters have been long and crazy. Nathan having HCM was decided I think pretty much when I first wrote the first chapter. I wanted to stay true to the title of the story of "Behind the Scenes" that not only Naley were having their own secret life but that Nathan and Haley both had something else on the side. That's why I had Peyton mention music and concerts in chapter 1 but I knew I wouldn't focus on that until later. I guess most of the "shocking" moments are done, but the story is far from over. There's going to be a little more to do with Daunte and don't worry I haven't forgotten Rachel and all your wonderful comments about here, lol. I'm sorry for the lack of updates but real life has got me bogged down. I'm going on vacation and have been spending extra hours at work to make sure I get everything I need to do out of the way. I'm off to Europe for ten days, :), I'm bringing my laptop so maybe I can get some writing done. Enjoy and again, please review.

. . . . .

Lucas, Brooke and Peyton watched helplessly as Haley ran down the corridor. Distraught, Lucas sighed and scratched his head.

"Look Luke, you have enough to deal with. Let us handle Haley." Peyton offered with a sympathetic look.

Lucas nodded. As much as he wanted to be there for his best friend, his brother had to come first. "Thanks guys."

"Anytime, Luke." Brooke gently rubbed her hand against his back. She offered him a warm smile before the two girls walked away and tried to look for Haley.

"Where do you suppose she went?" Brooke asked.

Peyton paused for a second, "I have an idea."

. . . . .

"How do you know she's here?" Brooke asked.

"It's where I went when my mother.." Peyton trailed off as she turned the handle to the door leading to the chapel. Sure enough, they found Haley there sitting in one of the pews, her head down and her hands covering her tear stricken face.

Brooke and Peyton instantly went to her side.

"Honey, as much as you blame yourself, this is not your fault." Brooke tried to comfort her friend.

"Yeah, Hales, Nathan was born with this condition, no one knew." Peyton added.

"For all you know, it was meant to happen, it was just bad timing Hales, please don't blame yourself. When Nathan gets out of surgery, he's going to need you." Brooke rubbed Haley's back.

"No!" Haley choked out. "You don't understand, we got into a fight before he collapsed."

"Honey, you and Nathan always fight, remember his HCM." Brooke tried to reason.

"No, it was more than that." Haley shook her head. "I never seen him so hurt."

"What were you fighting about?" Peyton asked hesitantly.

"He knows about Chris." She looked to Peyton.

"Who's Chris?" Brooke looked at her two friends.

"How does he know?" Peyton was confused.

"Who's this Chris guy?" Brooke asked louder, her curiosity getting the best of her.

"Chris is this guy I've been seeing." Haley spoke through her tears. Brooke gasped, her face in shock.

"Not like that." Peyton chimed in. "Chris is this musician who Haley and I met a while back at this concert, I knew him cuz he's from Tree Hill."

"Cocky guy with the spikey hair?" Brooke asked.

"Yeah, him. After the concert, we got to talking and we found out that Haley could play guitar and piano and she could actually sing."

"You can?" Brooke looked at Haley curiously. She never pegged her to be the musical type.

"I took lessons when I was younger but anyways, Chris and Peyton convinced me to play and sing and I did."

"She was great Brooke, we went up to Raleigh a few times to see him perform and Haley would join him. They made a good team and then Chris went back to tour. He showed his record label a recording of him and Haley together. They liked it and offered Haley a spot on his European tour."

"Oh my God, Haley! That's.. that's awesome."

Haley shook her head. "No, it isn't. Nathan found out somehow and he was so mad, he must've thought I was leaving him."

"That's why you guys were fighting?" Peyton wanted to be sure.

Haley nodded. "I've never seen him so hurt and angry. It's my fault, I triggered his heart attack." Haley sobbed further.

"Haley, look at me, this is not your fault."

"Yeah, Hales, Peyton is right. Nathan just got his wires crossed. I'm sure if you explain all this to him, he'll understand. This is you guys we're talking about, you guys have the whole miscommunication down to a tee." Brooke tried to joke but it still didn't make Haley feel any less guilty.

"Yeah, Hales, Nathan over reacted, that's not your fault. But.. but what I'm wondering is how did Nathan find out."

And as if a light bulb went off, Haley sat up straight. "Rachel."

"What?" Brooke asked.

"I left to get a drink and when I was walked away, Rachel was talking to Nathan and then she walked away and that's when this whole thing started." Haley couldn't believe she didn't think of it sooner.

Peyton shook her head as the pieces started to fall together. Brooke nodded in understanding. "No wonder Nathan flipped, Rachel must've made it sound like you were cheating on Nathan or something, I can't believe that bitch."

"Oh my God, wait till I get my hands.."

"Guys!" Haley spoke up. "Thanks for making me feel better." And she was. She felt better but she still felt guilty. If she had the courage to tell Nathan about the tour earlier after they hashed everything out then this whole thing could've been avoided and Nathan wouldn't be left in the dark to jump to conclusions. "The main thing is for Nathan to get better and explain all this to him. Rachel.. she's, she's not even worth it." Haley shook her head.

Brooke smiled and admired Haley's resolve. She certainly was something else. "You're a saint Haley James, but I am not and if I see that manipulative bitch, she's going to get a piece of my mind."

"And my fist." Peyton added.

Haley smiled at her two friends but her smile quickly faded. Nathan was still in surgery and she just hoped she would get the chance to explain everything to him. But if he didn't, if he didn't pull through.. Haley shook her head, clearing away such thoughts. She was already at her breaking point and one more false move and she knew she would crack.

. . . . .

"What the hell happened to my son!?" Dan Scott roared as he stepped inside the waiting room, where he saw Lucas talking to Whitey. Lucas instantly winced. He knew he had to face Dan sooner or later.

"Calm down Danny." Whitey saw the horrified look on Lucas' face.

"Calm down?! I guess you are not only old but senile, I get a call saying that my son had a heart attack and you expect me to calm down! How the hell did that happen!?"

Lucas and Whitey looked at each other and then proceeded to tell Dan all about Nathan's HCM and how he kept it a secret.

Dan paced the room back and forth, his own anger and frustrations bubbling to the surface.

"How could you let this happen!?" Dan's hateful eyes turned to Whitey. "How could you not see this?"

"He didn't know!" Lucas spoke up.

"Oh yeah, that's right." Dan turned to face Lucas. "You knew, you knew and did nothing!" Dan clenched his fist. "I knew you wanted Nathan's life but I didn't think you could go this far .. I hope you're happy, you choose the perfect occasion to keep your fat mouth quiet."

"Now listen here Danny." Whitey tried to intervene.

"You're right old man, this isn't you fault, it's his!" Dan accused with fire in his eyes.

Lucas felt like he had been punched in the gut, as much as he hated Dan, he couldn't help but agree with him. It was him that kept Nathan's secret. It was he that could've prevented all this. But as angry and disappointed he was at himself, it failed in comparison to the resentment and anger he felt towards their father.

"You have no right to speak.." Whitey tried to defend Lucas but Lucas stopped him.

"No, coach. He's right." Lucas sighed. "It is my fault, I knew and I decided not to say anything."

"It's about time you own up to your mistakes." Dan snorted.

"I admit to my own role in all this but don't act for a second that you are innocent!" Lucas glared back.

"ME?! You have some nerve kid, Nathan kept this from all of us, you're the only one who knew and didn't say anything."

"And why do you suppose Nathan didn't want to say anything?" Lucas threw out. "I may have not said anything but the reason why Nathan wouldn't let me was because of you!"

Lucas took a deep breath. "You were the one that drilled basketball into his head since he was little, you were the one who punished his body with your ridiculous drills and exercises, you were the one who put this insane pressure to put a ball in a hole just because you fell short."

"You son of a bitch."

"The only bitch I see is you and you're right, I have the shameful honor of being your son, did you know how hard Nathan tried to make you proud of him and it seemed no amount of success on the court would please you, God, he was so terrified to tell you, you made him feel worthless on and off the court and without basketball, he just felt like he would disappoint you all over again so he choose lying and hoping that maybe a state championship would help shut your mouth!"

"I played my part in all this but don't you dare act as if you had nothing to do with this." Lucas said with as much intensity and fire that could rival his father. It was in this moment that Dan was impressed with the younger Scott. He saw the same fire and passion in his blue eyes that Dan saw in himself but he wouldn't let it show along with the guilt threatening to consume him.

Tension filled the room as father and estranged son stared each other down.

"Mr. Scott?" A voice called out. Both Dan and Lucas turned to face the doctor.

"Yes." Both men replied.

"Lucas Scott?" The doctor questioned.

"How's my brother?" Lucas spoke up.

"How's my son?" Dan stepped in front of Lucas.

"You're his father?"

"Yes, how is he?"

"My name is Dr. Anderson." The two men shook hands. "I'm the head of cardiothoracic surgery. We've managed to stabilize Nathan, but I'm afraid he's still not out of the woods."

"What do you mean?" Dan asked.

"Your son suffered a major cardiac arrest, brought upon by his HCM condition but made worse by extra aggravation and stress. If it wasn't for the quick action of your other son Lucas here, he may not have made it. We were able to rush him into surgery without the need to find a closest of kin for us to get approval." The doctor looked warmly at the distraught teen. Lucas gave a small smile but that knowledge did little to help ease his guilt.

"The cardiac arrest cut off the oxygen supply to his brain and because of that he is in a coma." The doctor paused as he watched the three men in front of him take stock of the news.

"There is good news. We ran a CAT scan and an MRI and there appears to be no permanent damage, the next 24 to 48 hours will be critical."

"What happens if he doesn't wake up by then." Whitey asked.

The doctor looked down and looked back up. "I'm not going to lie to you guys, Nathan's condition is severe, if he doesn't wake up within the next 2 days, there maybe a chance he won't come out of it for several more days, weeks, possibly even longer."

Dan clutched to a nearby chair as he sunk down to sit on it. The weight of the news weighing heavily on him.

"But we will have to cross the bridge if need be, the main thing now is to remain positive. Nathan is also young and is in excellent physical condition. These are all factors working for him. The scans show that there is brain activity so he is still with us. His body just needs time to recuperate. It's possible that in some subconscious level, he could hear you. We're moving him to ICU now, you can visit him shortly, just ask the nurse at the nurse's station, she will take you to him. I have another surgery I need to prep for, it shouldn't take that long and I will be back to help answer anymore of your questions."

"Thank you doctor." Whitey spoke up as he saw the devastated look on Lucas' and Dan's faces.

They sat there in silence, father and son battling with their own guilt and praying that Nathan would wake up.

. . . .

"I'm getting coffee." Peyton yawned and got up. They didn't talk much and spent most of the time in silent prayer. Brooke had her arm around Haley, while she rested her head on Brooke's shoulder.

"Do you guys want?"

"I'll get one."

Haley shook her head no and continued to stare blankly in front of her.

Peyton left the chapel and turned into the hallway. She found the coffee machine and poured herself a cup.

"Peyton!" Lucas called out and Peyton whipped her head around.

"Luke!" He raced over to her.

"Where's Haley?"

"She's in the chapel with Brooke. How's Nathan?"

"…."

Peyton gasped. "Is he.." Her voice was cracking.

"He's out of surgery, stable.. but .. but he's in a coma."

Peyton put both hands over her mouth as the coffee fell from her hand and spilled onto the floors.

. . . . .

There was a knock on the door and Haley and Brooke sat up to see who it was.

"Luke." Brooke said breathlessly as he walked in. He looked just as tired and worn out as the rest of them. Brooke looked at her watch and saw that it was early in the morning now.

"Could you give us a minute Brooke? Peyton's just outside."

Brooke nodded and got up but not without a dreaded sinking feeling coming over her. She gave Haley one last assuring hug and then got up and left the two best friends alone.

"Wha.. what is it Luke?" Haley's voice was trembling.

"He's stable and in recovery." Lucas spoke quickly, knowing that Haley was just as much a mess as he was.

Haley closed her eyes for a second and breathed a sigh of relief. She opened her eyes and found Lucas still looking at her as if he himself was about to break.

"What aren't you telling me Luke?"

Lucas took a deep breath. He wanted to protect his best friend but he knew he couldn't keep this from her and it would be better coming from him. "The heart attack cut oxygen supply to his brain.. he's.. he's in a coma now."

Haley doubled over in shock and in grief. Lucas quickly went to her side and held her tight. "The CT and MRI scans show brain activity.. he just has to wake up and come back to us." He said, his voice also cracking. Haley couldn't find the words to speak as she sobbed harder and harder.

. . . . .

Daunte parked his car and raced through the parking lot into the emergency room. He almost bumped into a red headed teen who was idling at the corner.

"Hi.. I'm looking for Nathan Scott." Daunte asked the receptionist.

"He's being moved into ICU." The nurse replied while pulling his file up on the computer.

"Excuse me." A Tree Hill police officer approached him.

"Yes." Daunte turned to face him.

"Are you Daunte Jones?"

"That's me."

The officer turned around and looked over to Dan Scott. Dan nodded and the officer turned back around. "We have some questions for you regarding Nathan Scott."

. . . .

Brooke wiped her eyes as she paced back and forth in the hall way.

"I can't believe this is happening."

"I know." Peyton replied.

"Oh God, Haley's going to be.. this can't be happening." Brooke repeated.

Peyton shook her head, she was just as confused and heart broken as Brooke. She didn't know what to do either.

"Clothes." Peyton finally spoke up.

"Thanks for trying to help P. Sawyer but the mall isn't open yet and I'm not up for shopping."

"Not that." Peyton narrowed her eyes. "Knowing Haley, she's not going to want to leave this hospital, I think I'm going to pass by her house and get her a change of clothes.. actually for all of us." Peyton felt like she was suffocating within these walls and needed to get away and get some air, especially after hearing the latest news on Nathan.

"That's a good idea." Brooke added. They were still all in their prom dresses after all. "I'll be here with Haley and I think the cafeteria is opening soon, I doubt she'll eat but I'll see if I can get her and Lucas to eat something."

Both girls took off in separate directions. Brooke paused in her tracks when she saw Dan there with some Tree Hill officers talking to some guy who looked very familiar. Brooke was about to walk away but she saw someone else lurking around.

In a pair of dark jeans and wearing a black hoodie, Brooke recognized who it was.

"You have some nerve coming here." Brooke yanked the hoodie off Rachel's head.

"Broo.." Rachel was about to reply but Brooke's hard slap to the face cut her off. Brooke pushed Rachel against the wall but then one of the police officers ran over and held Brooke back.

Lucas stepped out of the chapel to give Haley a moment to herself. He walked down the hall and Lucas looked on with confusion as he saw Brooke being held back by a police officer while another one was hauling a tall dark man away.

"Daunte.." Lucas muttered.

To Be Continued . . . .


	20. Chapter 20

Behind the Scenes

Chapter 20

Thank you all for the reviews and again, my apologies for not updating sooner. I went on vacation and in the middle of moving .However, I was able to wrap up Stillness, thank God, so now it leaves me with this story and The Mourning After to wrap up. I also managed to knock out "Make it Last" and if you check out that story, you'll get a sneak preview of the sequel to "Thicker than Blood."

I also would like to share some thoughts of the season so far. I can't wait for tomorrow, even though I have no clue where I can watch it because I currently have no television. I like Brulian, they came out, it was a little unexpected and a nice change but by the end of season 6, they moved a little too fast and now it seems that they are shoving them down our throats. If it was Naley, they could pull it off but Mark needs to tone down the Brulian, we got the message, thank you. As a guest character, I don't mind Quinn but as a regular cast member, I have very little interest in her. She's a new character and I feel like she's a new character not. First of all, we've never heard or seen any of Haley's siblings since season 2. We get a brief mention of Quinn in season 6 and that's it, To me, it seems like they were sisters raised by different households. Although I do like Clayton, he's funny charming and I get the whole deep down he's a sensitive nice guy. With Nathan acting so serious, are they making Nathan the new Lucas and Clay the new Nate? The end of his first scene with Nate made me cringe a little, with the whole jeans comment by Nathan, but to be fair that was just as much of James's fault as it is Robert's lol. Their next scene at the commercial shoot was much better, got the banter and I felt the friendship. With time, I think Clayton will get more comfortable with the other characters. Like I said, is Nathan acting like Luke now? I like how grown up Nathan is now but I need to see a little bad boy here and there, and no im not talking about him cheating on haley! I think that storyline will work so long as Nathan never did anything with that skank. Poor Haley, to go through that. Anyways, we'll see tom.

This chapter sort of took a life of it's own as I started writing and I hope you enjoy. Once again I'd love to hear your comments.

. . . .

"Get your hands off me!" Brooke yelled as an officer stepped in and held her back.

"Miss you need to calm down." The officer stated, _this girl sure had some spunk._

"Let go of me, it's because of this bitch that my friend is in here in the first place!"

Dan saw the commotion and stepped in.

"Wait!" He ordered the officer. To most people, Dan Scott was still a town hero and upstanding and beloved law abiding citizen of Tree Hill. It also helped that most people got their cars through him. It wasn't a secret to anyone that Dan received special treatment. "What're you talking about Miss Davis?"

"This ho-bag right here. She put up some video of Nathan during prom to make it look like he was taking drugs or something, it's because of her he got so worked up and had a heart attack!" She spit out. Rachel leaned in against the wall, feeling smaller than ever. The fear was definite in her eyes.

"Let her go." Dan ordered as he glared at Rachel.

"Yeah, let her go." Lucas came running up to see what the commotion was all about.

"Thank you!" Brooke rolled her eyes as the officer let her go. "Oh great, the skank is gone!" Brooke yelled. While everyone was distracted with Lucas, Rachel took a chance and snuck away.

"Don't worry about her." Lucas gave Brooke a hug. "Dan what the hell are you doing with Daunte?" Lucas turned to Dan.

"We're bringing him in for questioning." The officer stated.

"But why?" Lucas was confused.

"Lucas, can you please tell them I'm innocent of whatever crime they're trying to pin on me!!" Daunte yelled from across the room.

Lucas turned to Dan, "Seriously, what's your problem?"

"He was the one that was giving Nathan his medication. He's liable in all this." Dan stated, although he was far interested in the red head the just bailed.

"Brooke was right, the only person to blame here is Rachel, but I doubt you can arrest her since technically she did nothing illegal." Lucas shook his head, she should be arrested, but what could she be charged with. "Daunte is Nathan's pharmacist, he was only doing what the doctor prescribed." Lucas pleaded with the officer.

"Don't worry, I'll get to that Doctor, take him away guys."

"NO!" Lucas said frustrated, "What the hell did he do wrong?"

"He's not cooperating, we're just trying to get him some answers, as his father I have the right."

"No you don't. Nathan is 18, he didn't need to give parental consent!"

"He obviously did something wrong, I would've seen charges for medication on my insurance, which Nathan is still covered. That's already insurance fraud."

"That's cuz he paid cash!" Lucas shook his head.

The officer looked back and forth between Dan and Lucas. "I'm sorry Mr. Scott, we were going to bring him in for questioning as a favor to you but like the kid says, your son is a legal adult. Technically, Daunte has done nothing wrong."

"Technically." Dan rolled his eyes.

"Let him go." The officer called out to his partner, "We're done here."

"Are there any more secrets you'd like to share!" Dan growled at Lucas. "My son is in a coma and I swear if he doesn't get out of it, you're going to join him." Dan stormed off.

Lucas glared at his estranged father as Dan walked away. He would've been more pissed but he was exhausted and although Dan was being his usual jack ass self, Lucas could see the fear behind Dan's eyes. Nathan was still his son and he couldn't blame Dan too much on wanting to blame someone for this whole messed up situation. It still didn't give him any right to start accusing people.

"Lucas, thanks for your help." Daunte approached him. "When you guys said your father was an ass, you weren't kidding."

"Yeah." Lucas sighed and looked down. "I'm .. I'm sorry for that."

"You have nothing to be sorry for.. and look don't go blaming yourself, this isn't your fault."

"Yeah?" Lucas looked up at him. "How come I feel like it is?"

"Your brother's going to be okay, believe that. Look, I heard what happened, I just wanted you to know that I'm here if you need me." Daunte gave him a small smile and squeezed his shoulder. Daunte said his goodbyes and Lucas took a seat nearby, feeling more defeated than ever.

"Luke, it's okay, everything is going to be okay." Brooke held onto him as he rested his head on her shoulder.

"I hope so.. God, I'm a mess.. Haley must.. wait." Lucas stood right back up. "Haley?" He looked around. "She was right with me, where'd she go?"

. . . . .

Rachel hightailed out of there. She knew it was a bad idea to come. She raced to the parking lot and pulled out her car keys. She pressed the alarm to unlock her black Buick. She was about to open the door when she looked at the window and saw someone behind her.

"You have some nerve coming here." Haley said in as calm of a voice as she could.

"I.. I was just leaving." Rachel mumbled as she opened the door. Haley stepped forward and slammed the door shut. Rachel was taken aback and took a step backwards while Haley positioned herself between Rachel and her car. No way, she was going to let her off this easy.

"And I'm just getting started." Haley clenched her fist.

"Haley look, relax." Rachel threw her hands up.

"Relax?" Haley mocked. "You want me to relax while my boyfriend is in a coma fighting for his life."

Rachel swallowed the lump in her throat. "I.. I didn't know." Rachel said softly.

"He had a heart attack, cut circulation to his brain. He had a pre-existing condition, but high stress was a factor, I wonder why that was."

"Hey!" Rachel answered back. "Look, I may have talked to him before his umm.. accident.. but it wasn't me he was stressed about .. it was YOU! So why don't you get your facts straight before you start accusing people."

Haley's jaw literally dropped. She knew she was tired but she knew her hearing was still fine. She couldn't believe the nerve of her.

"ME?! Oh no Honey.." Haley pointed her finger at Rachel.

"Don't point your finger at me.. I know all about your other boyfriend. Yeah, I may have been the one to tell Nathan but you were the one lying to him and seeing some other guy behind his back!"

Without a second thought, Haley punched her right in the eye, sending Rachel stumbling to the ground.

"Why you.." Rachel mumbled as she got back up, clutching her face.

"Now your other eye matches from the other black eye I gave you." Haley smirked as she put her hand on her hips.

"Yeah I can thank your fat knuckles for that." Rachel got up. "Just cuz your big ass feels guilty…. Owww!!" Haley slapped Rachel as hard as she could before she could finish her sentence.

"Listen, you idiot!" Haley's eyes were on fire. "Not like I need to explain anything to you, but I was not cheating on Nathan."

"Tell that to that Chris guy." Rachel smirked but was met with another slap from Haley. "Why you!!" Rachel lunged at Haley, but Haley took a step to the side pushed Rachel hard against the car door. Haley then flipped Rachel around and held her arm against Rachel's neck.

"I don't know how you found out about Chris, but Chris is a friend who's in a band. We used to play together in Raleigh and now he wants me to tour with him in Europe, you moron." Haley pressed her arm harder against Rachel's neck. "The only reason why I didn't tell Nathan was because I wasn't sure if I was going to go."

"You sing?!" Rachel snorted but Haley pushed harder causing Rachel to struggle breathing.

"And I can dance too, all over your grave if you keep this shit up." Haley finally let her go and took a step back, while Rachel gasped for air. "I never cheated on Nathan nor was I ever leaving him." Haley said in a more side voice. "And because of your stupid malicious actions, he thinks I am and because of YOU he had his heart attack."

Rachel stood there, leaning against her car while still grasping for air while she took in Haley's words. Then, Rachel reached into her pockets and grabbed her keys but Haley snatched it from her

"You better hope he wakes up or you'll burn in hell a lot faster than you think." Haley said with conviction as she threw Rachel's keys across the parking lot. Rachel watched in horror as the keys slipped down a drainage.

"And on top of everything else, you ruined prom for our whole class because you couldn't get over the fact that Nathan was not nor was he ever interested in you… and just so we can set the record straight, the only reason Nathan agreed to go to prom with you in the first place was because I told him too, thnk about that on your long walk home." Haley glared one more time before walking away.

Haley walked back towards the hospital, trying to calm herself down. She looked up ahead and saw someone who she didn't want to talk to.

"So I'm assuming your Nathan's flavor of the week?" Dan asked.

Haley rolled her eyes. "I'm his girlfriend, Mr. Scott."

It was Dan's turn to roll his eyes. "For now."

Haley bit her tongue. She was still worked up from seeing Rachel. "If you would excuse me." Haley said trying to by pass him.

"You know, at least Peyton was never this rude."

Haley's jaw dropped. She couldn't believe the nerve of him.

"Who was that?" Dan cut to the point.

"Who?"

"The girl you were slapping around, Rachel?"

"Yeah, what about her?"

"Brooke and Lucas were saying it was her fault for Nathan's condition, what were they talking about?"

"…"

"You can tell me now or tell me later, either way I will find out. As Nathan's so called girlfriend, I thought you'd at least give me that right since I am his father."

"Look, she found out something about me, she thought I was cheating on Nathan, which wasn't true but she told Nathan and he got upset and well you know the truth."

"So you were cheating on my son?"

"NO! Did you not hear me? She told Nathan I was, of course I wasn't cheating on him, I know you may not believe me but I love your son, Mr. Scott."

Dan nodded as he looked back onto Rachel, who already started her long walk home.

"You can go now." Dan gritted through his teeth as his hand reached into his pocket and started to play with his car keys.

Haley didn't waste anytime as she made her way back inside. Before entering, she looked back and still saw Dan standing there, staring out.

. . . . .

Daunte left the hospital but instead of going to his car, he decided to take a walk first and clear his head. He walked along the road and came to a stop at a small bridge right outside the hospital entrance. He put his hand on the railings as he was lost in his thoughts. He couldn't be too mad at Dan. Daunte knew he did nothing illegal. Since Nathan was of age, he didn't need to inform his parents and since Nathan paid cash, he didn't need to report it to the insurance company either. Still, he felt guilty because he helped pay for the medication and Nathan paid him back. He thought he was doing the boy a favor, but he was wrong.

. . . .

"Lucas!"

Lucas turned around and saw Deb rushing to him.

"I just spoke with the doctors, I can't believe this." Deb said with tears in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry Deb. It's.. it's all my fault. I should've said something."

"Let me guess, you talked to Dan. Don't feel guilty, no one blames you, I hope you know that, well besides Dan." She had spoken to Dan on the phone when she was in the airport and she just met with Nathan's doctors.

Lucas sighed. "Well, what if I blame myself?" Lucas gave her a small smile, thankful their meeting was better than he had with Dan. He was at least glad that Dan was off somewhere and not bothering him.

"Come on, let me take you to see him." Luke offered his hand.

. . . . .

Deb turned around when she heard the door open.

"Sorry." A young woman came out blurting. "I didn't think anyone was here."

Deb was sitting by Nathan's bedside, clutching onto his hand.

"Haley, is that you?"

"Yeah, hi Mrs. Scott."

"Deb." Deb corrected her. Every time she was in the café, she always told Haley to call her Deb.

"Right." Haley smiled and turned back around. "I'll leave you.."

"Wait!" Deb called out as she stood up and followed Haley out the door.

"It's you, huh?"

"Me?" Haley asked.

"I wanted to make it home before Nathan went to prom but my flight was delayed. I spoke to him before left, he was so excited. He told me about this amazing girl he was taking. He wouldn't give me a name but I'd never heard him sound so excited and worked up over a girl before.. and judging by the way you're still dressed in your gown, I take it you're the girl?"

Haley gave a small smile and nodded.

"Well Lucas also told me." Deb smiled and gave a small wink. Haley gave a polite smile back.

Haley could see the tear streaks on Deb's face. She felt her guilt kept creeping up. No matter how much she blamed Rachel for everything, it was still her fault for not telling Nathan about Chris sooner.

"You and Nathan." Deb shook her head. "I didn't see that one coming."

"You and I both." Haley sighed.

"I thought he wasn't seeing anyone."

Haley sighed. "We had a complicated relationship." Haley put it mildly.

"Aren't all high school couples like that?" Deb joked.

Haley nodded. "Look Deb, I'm so sorry for everything."

"Haley, Lucas told me what happened. This was not your fault, or Lucas' you guys need to stop blaming yourselves."

"But how could you not?"

"Because I'm his mother and I didn't even know.. I guess we can form a club." Deb joked.

"Thanks." Haley felt slightly better, slightly. Nathan was still in a coma and they still didn't know when or if he would wake up.

"You know, I keep trying to replay it all in my head, to see if there were any signs, I should've known."

"No one knew, except Lucas." Haley replied. That came out harsher than she meant. She didn't blame him, honestly she didn't but looking back, it seemed that everyone played a role in Nathan's heart attack.

"I spoke with Lucas, I know he should've told someone but he was just respecting Nathan's wishes. I mean he only found out recently and basketball means so much to Nathan. Is put myself in Lucas' place and I'd probably would've done the same thing. I mean the season was over so he wasn't practicing or playing plus Nathan was taking his meds."

Haley only nodded in agreement.

"You know, if I wasn't so worried for him, I'd kill Nathan myself for keeping something like this and guilting his brother into lying with him." Deb tried to joke but her voice cracked.

"I .. I just want him to wake up." Haley softly.

"Me too, me too." Deb sighed.

. . . . .

Rachel crossed her arms and walked across the hospital parking lot and onto Melina Drive. She could've called a cab but she was so worked up, she needed sometime to breath. She stepped onto the small bridge that led out from the hospital and saw a tall dark man leaning against the railing.

The man heard her footsteps and turned to face her. Rachel immediately recognized him as the guy from the video, the one who gave Nathan drugs and the guy Dan Scott was trying to arrest. They locked eyes for a second, but Rachel pressed on, walking even faster.

"Wait." Daunte stepped in front of her to block her path.

"Excuse me." She muttered.

"You're the girl from inside, the one that brunette girl accused of causing Nathan's heart attack."

"From what I hear, he had a pre-existing condition, that's what caused his heart attack." Rachel stated. "Look, it's late.. or early." Rachel waved her hand dismissively. It was getting later in the morning and it wouldn't be too long before dawn. "I have to get home."

"It's still dark out, a young girl like yourself shouldn't be walking alone."

"I think I can manage."

"I can give you a ride?"

"Umm.. no thanks, I'd prefer to walk."

"Are you sure beca.." Daunte stopped midsentence when he heard the roar of an engine behind him then headlights shining on them. The car was driving erratically and fast approaching.

"LOOK OUT!!!" Rachel yelled as the headlights blinded them and the car came barreling in their direction.

To be continued. . . .


	21. Chapter 21

Behind the Scenes

Chapter 21

Thank you for your reviews and I apologize for the delay. Between work and moving, it was hard getting motivated to write this next chapter. I'd like to thank you all for your support and reviews and this will be the last chapter followed by an epilogue.

I want to share my brief thoughts on Season 7 so far. I miss Lucas and Peyton, but I think the show still has legs. This whole Renee thing has me furious and I think the writers are messing up some potential good Naley angst by keeping them away. I did love the Jamie and Nathan scene. I feel so bad for the poor kid and the family in general. I like Alex, I just hope I don't get bored of her too soon. It was good to see Victoria although I miss the ultra bitch version of her. Dan and Rachel, I'm still scratching my head over that one. I don't even know what to make of their marriage. It's making no sense at all and I think the writers messed up an opportunity to include Rachel back with the remaining group. I wouldn't mind if Rachel was there in place of Alex or set up a rivalry between Rachel and Alex over being the face of Clothes over Bro's. If that wasn't bad enough, we have the biggest disappointment of all, Quinn. Looking back, I think the only good scene she had was when she flirted with Clay on the beach (although the credit goes as much to James and Robert as does Shantel) but from her first scene with Haley and Jamie to her vague reasons for leaving her husband, I'm not feeling her at all and I think Mark should drop the dead weight. My advice to David, stay far far far away, Quinn did you a favor by leaving you and coming back to Tree Hill, unfortunately we're stuck with her. Please don't make her hook up with Clay. Clayton is the only new character I really do like and I actually have an interest in with his back story.

Enough ranting, enjoy and please review!

. . . . . .

"What the hell happened?" Deb questioned as she walked up to Dan who was currently being wheeled.

"I hit a puddle and nearly lost control of my car, don't worry we're fine. Is there any news on Nathan?" Dan quickly replied.

"No changes but wait who's we?" Deb questioned but found her answer as a tall dark man and a young red head were also wheeled in.

Lucas was in a nearby bathroom changing. Peyton had come back with some spare clothes from the group. He came out during the commotion and was informed by one of the paramedics what happened. Apparently, Dan lost control of his car on the bridge just outside the hospital, nearly running into Daunte and Rachel. The car hit the railing, Dan suffered some whiplash and a small bump on the head. Daunte was ok except from a bruise from hitting the floor. Rachel actually pushed him away but she fell hard on her right shoulder.

Lucas walked towards Dan and Deb. He took a good look at Dan, a bandaid over his forehead and a brace around his neck. He glanced back at Rachel who was in a wheel chair right behind Dan. She had a sling over her should and a couple of cuts on her face. He turned back to Dan.

"Your aim sucks." And with that he walked away.

. . . . . .

"You okay?" Peyton asked as she came up behind Haley. They were currently in the restroom. Haley had just changed out of her dress and into a pair of jeans and a simple top. She was by the sink wiping away the traces of her make up.

"I'm good. Thanks Peyton." Haley offered her and Brooke a small smile through the mirror.

"I think the cafeteria is opening up now for breakfast." Brooke spoke up.

"Umm.. I'll meet you guys there, I just want some time alone, you know?"

Brooke and Peyton gave each other a look before nodding in agreement. The two left the bathroom leaving Haley alone. She stared back at the mirror and noticed the bags already forming under her already puffy eyes. She sighed, hoping no more tears would fall. But that would not be the case.

. . . . .

Lucas entered Nathan's room and slowly walked in. He shook his head as he realized that Nathan was still in the same condition he was the last time he came to check up on him. He stood by the bed and looked down on him. It was so weird to see him looking so frail, weak. Defeated.

Lucas took a seat nearby and threw his head back. He yawned from exhaustion but he knew sleep wouldn't come. The last several hours have been so crazy, he hoped this nightmare would end and end soon.

"I swear to God Nathan you better wake up just so I can kick your ass for making me go through this." Lucas muttered but all he got in response was the beeping of the various machines hooked up to Nathan.

"Wake up Nate.. please wake up. I'm a mess, I can't even imagine what Haley is going through." Lucas sighed once more and brought his hands to his face in frustration. Lucas continued to sit there while the heart monitor slowly beeped.

Beep

Beep

Beep

Beep Beep

Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep

Lucas head went up, he wasn't sure what was happening. He hoped this wasn't a bad sign that Nathan wasn't going under cardiac arrest or something. He was about to race out the door to get a doctor when suddenly the beeping stopped.

"Haley!" Nathan's eyes flew open as he sat up from the bed.

Lucas stood absolutely shocked for a moment but then was overcome with relief and happiness.

The rush of blood flowing out of Nathan's head caused him to become disoriented and he quickly lied back down on the bed, closing his eyes and bringing his hand to his forehead, willing this big ass head ache to go away.

"Nate!" Lucas exclaimed excitedly as he rushed forward and hugged his brother. His eyes watered as he was so overwhelmed with emotion. Lucas sat back up and wiped his eyes.

"Luke." Nathan muttered as he was trying to get his bearings back.

"Wait, let me get the doctor." Lucas went for the door but luckily Dr. Anderson walked in to check up on Nathan's vitals.

"Is everything okay?" He asked as he nearly bumped into Lucas.

"My brother, he's awake!" Lucas said excitedly.

Dr. Anderson's face instantly lit up and went towards his patient. "Nathan.. I'm Doctor Anderson, how are you feeling?"

"Like ass." Nathan muttered, his head still pounding.

"You slipped into a coma for a few hours there but don't worry your back now. I'll get you something for the headache." Dr. Anderson then turned to Lucas. "Can you get his parents?"

"Yeah, I'll be right back."

Lucas rushed to find Dan and Deb but couldn't find them and the nurse didn't know which room they had taken Dan to. He called Deb but only got her voicemail. He left her a quick message before calling Haley and the girls. Unfortunately, none of them picked up.

Lucas rushed back to the room, where Dr. Anderson was writing some notes on his charts.

"I couldn't find them but I left them a message, they should be here soon."

Dr. Anderson nodded.

"How is he doc?"

"Your brother's in excellent health aside from his HCM, he's young, fit and he's awake now. There seams to be no permanent damage. I think its safe to say your brother will be okay, granted with more monitoring of his HCM."

"Thank God." Lucas sighed in relief.

"I'll give you two a minute." Dr. Anderson left the room.

"How're you feeling?" Lucas walked towards the bed.

"Better now that the room stopped spinning and someone stopped banging a hammer against my skull." Nathan said dryly.

Lucas gave a small chuckle. "Oh God, Nate, you had us so scared. I'm so sorry."

"Sorry?"

"I should've said something sooner… about your HCM."

"That wasn't your fault."

"Yes, it is. Do you even remember what happened?"

"…"

Nathan looked down and didn't respond. Lucas took that as a sign that everything was coming back to Nathan.

"Haley's.."

"Luke, don't."

"But Nathan.."

"I said don't!" Nathan warned. He already could feel his heart speed up and the doctor told him to stay as calm as possible.

"This wasn't you fault Luke. I would've gotten a heart attack even if everyone knew. I just worked myself up ok."

"But Nath.." Lucas was about to continue when the door flew open and a tear struck Deb and Dan came walking in.

"Oh honey!" Deb was immediately at Nathan's side with Dan right behind her.

"Look, I'll.. I'll leave you guys." Lucas muttered as he got out of the way and left the room to give Nathan some privacy with his parents. As much as he disliked Dan, you could tell he was relieved to have Nathan awake.

Deb peppered Nathan with kisses on his cheeks.

"I'm fine mom." Nathan tried to get away.

"Oh, I'm sorry sweetie. I was just so scared that we were going to loose you."

"Yeah son." Dan spoke up and Nathan looked at him curiously.

_Why was he wearing a neck brace?_

"Minor car accident, don't worry about it son. The only thing you need to be worried about is getting better."

"You're not mad?" Nathan questioned his father.

"You bet we are." Deb choked up. "But we can ground you later." Deb said with a smile as she hugged Nathan once more.

"Like your mom said." Dan took went on the opposite side of the bed. "You just get better so I can kick your ass later." Dan tried to sound like he was joking but he couldn't help but stutter as a tear or two slid down his cheeks. Nathan was taken aback by the raw emotion he saw in his dad. He thought he would be furious. Dan hugged Nathan and whispered in his ears.

"I'm sorry son." Dan said quickly and pulled away.

Father and son stared each other for a second before Nathan nodded in agreement.

. . . . .

"Where were you guys?!" Lucas rushed over to the girls.

"We were in the cafeteria, we had no signal." Brooke said. "I just got your message about Dan and Rachel, at least they're okay." Brooke rolled her eyes. All three girls were in shock but were relieved everyone was okay, even if Rachel was among the injured.

"Is everything okay?" Peyton questioned when she saw the curious look on Lucas' face.

"More than that. Nathan woke up." Lucas smiled.

"Oh God! That's great!" Both Peyton and Brooke hugged each other. Haley clutched herself as she let Lucas' words set in.

"He's awake." Lucas approached Haley as he wrapped his arms around him.

"He's awake." Haley whispered back.

"The doctor says he going to be just fine."

And that's when Haley finally broke and started to sob uncontrollably in Lucas' arms as a myriad of emotions came over her, the pain and stress of the past several hours coupled with the great news of Nathan's recovery.

"Let it out Hales." He said softly as Lucas hugged her tighter. Peyton and Brooke already left to give the two best friends some privacy.

. . . . .

"That white mumu thing is doing nothing for your hot bod." Brooke smirked as she leaned against the door.

"Brooke." Nathan smiled. His parents just left, they had to go take Dan back to his own hospital room, for reasons Nathan wasn't quite sure yet. They didn't tell him why his dad was in a neck brace and why he had a bandaid on his forehead.

"Nate!" Brooke smiled as she entered the room to hug him.

"The walls can use some color too." Peyton followed behind her.

"Hey Peyton." Nathan turned away from her and shared an awkward hug.

Peyton cleared her throat. "We're glad to have you back."

"You had us all worried there." Brooke added.

"Yeah." Nathan replied. "I've been getting that a lot."

Not sensing the tension, Brooke continued to speak. "Haley will be so happy to see you awake."

"I don't." Nathan turned his head away from his heads. "I don't want to see her now."

Peyton sighed, how could she forget. "Nathan, we know what happened with Rachel. There was just a big misunderstanding. You have to talk to her."

"Yeah! Then where the hell is she?!" Nathan bit back. _Probably with Chris_ he told himself. He took a deep breath, wanting not to get worked up again.

Awkward silence filled the air and Peyton and Brooke stared at each other, not knowing what to do.

"I'm right here." A voice from the doorway called out.

Everybody turned their heads to find Haley standing there. Her eyes started to water at the sight of him. She didn't care if he was mad at her, at least he was awake and alive. That's all that mattered.

Brooke and Peyton took that as their cue and walked out the door, bypassing Haley and offering her a sympathetic smile. They walked out into the hallway and closed the door behind them where Lucas was waiting nearby.

"You think they going to be okay?" Peyton spoke up.

"I hope so." Lucas answered and Brooke agreed.

. . . . .

"Nathan, I.." Haley was trying to find the words but it wouldn't come out. She stuttered and on instinct she ran towards Nathan, leaning over the bed and hugging him tightly. Nathan knew this was wrong but he couldn't bring himself to push her away. Instead he did the opposite and hugged her back.

"I was so scared." She said barely above a whisper.

Nathan just lied there and nodded his head.

Haley pulled back and wiped her eyes and took a seat by the edge of the hospital bed. "I want you to know that I love you and that.."

"Stop!" Nathan threw his hands up. "I don't need to hear the part where you tell me you love me but you can't be with me." Nathan looked away and then looked back at her with a determination in his eyes she never saw before. "I love you Hales, I love you and I'll fight for you. Whatever it takes, I'm going to show you that we belong together." Nathan swore.

"Hey, it's not like that." Haley reached for his cheeks, and forced him to look at her. She sighed, he just came out of surgery, out of a coma and yet was still devastatingly handsome. She ran her fingers through his short dark hair. "I love you and only YOU."

"I heard what you said." Nathan muttered.

"Chris." Haley started to speak but Nathan his head around and Haley turned it back towards her and continued to speak. "Chris is a friend who asked me to go on tour with him through Europe this summer."

Nathan's eyes narrowed. Haley noticed the squint in his eyes and thought to herself that he and Lucas are really brothers.

"Wait, what?" Nathan asked.

"Remember that concert I went with Peyton a couple of weeks back."

Nathan nodded and Haley proceeded to tell him all about how she met Chris and how she played with him a couple of times in Raleigh and how he wanted to her to go with her on the tour. She made sure to emphasize that nothing romantic has nor will happen between her and Chris.

Nathan stayed silent for a moment and his eyes were downcast. "I .. I didn't know." He said softly.

"It's because I didn't tell you." Haley said softly back.

"I wish you told me." He replied a second later, now feeling extremely embarrassed about everything. He got worked up and nearly died for nothing, all because of a simple misunderstanding. Nathan clenched his fist and Haley could feel him tense up.

"Rachel." He gritted out.

"She must've overheard me and Peyton talking and well you know the rest."

"I could kill her." He was so mad now.

"Don't!" Haley put her hand on his chest. "Don't worry about her, believe me, I think your father scared her plenty."

"What, what're you talking about?"

"He nearly ran her over tonight. He didn't though. Apparently, her shoulder's on a sling and Dan's in a neck brace."

Oh, that explains it. Nathan thought to himself.

"You can talk to Luke." Haley continued. "He seems to know more than I."

"But she nearly.."

"Shh!!" Haley hushed him in the best way she knew how, her lips.

The kiss was soft but gentle and Nathan instantly calmed down. She definitely had a calming effect when it came to Nathan.

"I don't want to talk about her, she's done enough."

"Okay." Nathan nodded in agreement, he was still going to have a long talk with his dad and brother though later.

"I'm sorry I kept it from you. I mean we were still in limbo and I was just doing in on the side for fun. I swear I was going to tell you about it. It was just that the last few days have been so busy."

"It's okay." Nathan nodded. "And I'm sorry, for overreacting."

"And your HCM?" Haley raised her eyebrow.

Nathan looked down again. "I'm, I'm sorry."

Haley let out a shaky breath and hugged him again. "I could kill you if you didn't nearly die tonight Nathan. How could you not tell anyone?"

"I'm sorry. If I went public then it would be real you know."

"I think it's already as real as it gets."

"I mean that I wasn't ready to let everything go, the dream, the game. After winning the championships, I thought I was ready but I wasn't until.."

"Until what?"

"Until you?" Nathan looked deeply in her eyes. "Basketball was my world until I realized you, you're my world Haley. When I finally admitted my feelings to myself, I knew, I knew I would be okay, knowing that you were in my life."

Haley's heart pounded in her chest as he heart swelled from Nathan's words.

"That's why I was so mad at prom. I thought you were leaving me, I thought my whole world was being taken away from me and I couldn't, I couldn't handle that."

"I'm not going to leave you." Haley choked by tears.

"I know." He squeezed her hands. "I know that now. I was, I was so scared. Before I passed out, I remember staring at you and I promised myself that if I could just get up, and walk over to you, and tell you how much I need you, and how much I want you, that nothing else matters."

Haley couldn't take it anymore and her eyes swelled with tears of joy and she kissed him and poured all her love and passion into him. They stayed locked in each other's embrace for a couple of minutes, both enjoying the feeling of being back in each other's arms.

"I can't believe my girl is a rock star."

"I'm not a rock star."

"Well, European rock star, I guess those still count."

"Nathan, I'm not going on the tour."

"Why not?"

"What do you mean why not?"

"Haley, if you're staying because of me.."

"No.."

"Haley!" Nathan warned.

"I don't, I don't want to be away from you so screw the tour okay."

"Haley, you won't lose me and it's only for a couple of weeks right?"

"More like a few months and my answer is no okay. I didn't even get to tell you that I'm going to Duke."

"You're going to Duke?" Nathan suspected as much even though Lucas had mentioned it before but to actually her hear confirm it was still a surprise to him.

"Well, yeah, that's where you're going and I want to go where you go. I could get the same education there and I'll get to be near you and Lucas."

"Hales, I'm not going to Duke. Once they find out about my HCM, I'm off the team."

"Oh." Haley's mouth dropped. She hadn't even thought about that. She was so wrapped up in making sure Nathan would wake up.

"I guess we have a lot to talk about huh." Haley sighed.

"Yeah, but not now. We can talk about our future later, right now I just want to be with you." Nathan pulled her close to him.

"Our future." Haley smiled. "I like the sound of that."

"Me too, me too."

To Be Concluded . . . .


	22. Chapter 22

Behind the Scenes

Chapter 22: Epilogue

I'd like to say thank you to all who have read this story and have supported me in this and all my other stories. I've noticed a drop of readership with this story and although that kinda sucks, I am still thankful for all of you who stuck around. Your words of encouragement and praise are the best things you can give an author and helped me stay motivated. With this story, I look back at how it began and how far it's gone since then but writing the last chapter for this story, there was only one way I could think of to end it, hehe, as you will see below.

On some other news, I think I am going to take a break from writing any more stories. I will still continue to update "The Mourning After." With this story over, I feel like I should be able to wrap up that story sooner rather than later. It's been going on for over two years now. I might write the occasional one shot as I've been doing but I think I'm going to hold off on writing a **new** story. I have been thinking heavily about "Keep Bleeding" which is the sequel to Thicker than Blood and I'm going to try and do something different, which is writing a couple of chapters ahead before actually posting it, which is another reason why I've decided to take a break. I hate having long pauses between chapter updates and at least this way, I could keep updating on a fairly consistent basis. With that said, I think I'm going to need help and so if you are a fan of that story and would like to help beta for me, I would greatly appreciate it. Please PM if you are interested and we can work something out.

So enjoy this last chapter, I had a blast writing it. Once again, you're reviews mean the world.

. . . . .

"What time does this thing start?" Haley said as she lazily lied on Lucas' bed, flipping through a magazine.

"Actually, now but we could leave in 30." Lucas said as he was flipping through clothes in his closet. He looked over at Haley, who was giving him a knowing look.

"What, I don't want to be too early… it's not like anyone goes there on time."

"This is a Nathan Scott party, people like line up for these things." Haley rolled her eyes and continued to flip through the magazine. Lucas just chuckled and continued flipping through his clothes.

"But do we do we have to go?" Haley whined. "I mean we can go watch a movie or something.. we've just had a ton of graduation parties… isn't that enough partying?"

"See.. and that's why Miss Valedictorian, people call you tutorgirl… come on Hales.. live a little."

"I do." She said with confidence. "It's just, that I don't want to go to this party?" Haley continued to whine.

Lucas suddenly paused, a sense of déjà vu coming him. This all seemed so clearly familiar. He shook his head and turned back to Haley.

"Last time I checked, Nathan Scott was your _boyfriend_ and he's throwing this party for _you_."

"Uhh.. don't remind me." Haley rolled her eyes and sat up. "It's bad enough he practically threatened to break up with me if I didn't go but I don't need a goobye party on top of it."

Lucas just chuckled. He knew deep down that Haley wanted to go, she was always modest like that. He still couldn't believe his best friend, his Haley was going off to Europe to tour.

"Well, I thought you'd be happy to finally give him _your_ graduation present."

Haley sighed. "I am, I can't wait but I just don't like goodbye parties, it's like so sad. I mean we already graduated, it seems like everything is changing so fast."

"I hate to break it to you Hales, but things have already changed."

Haley sighed, she certainly agreed there.

"And you're wrong."

"What?" Haley asked.

"It's not a goodbye party, it's a farewell party. Good bye makes it seem like you're never coming but you are coming back."

"But still, it's not the same. I'm just going to miss everyone that's all. I mean, I've barely been out of Tree Hill.. this state, let alone cris-crossing through Europe. This all seems so surreal."

"Tell me about it. I still can't believe you and my brother are dating and in love. Oh God, pretty soon you're going to be like my sister-in-law."

"Whoa… a little head of yourself."

Lucas chuckled. "Believe me when I say, though painful as it is to admit, that I think Nathan only has eyes for you." And Lucas has a knowing feeling that Haley felt the same way.

Haley blushed. "Well.. umm.." Haley turned redder and her heart fluttered just thinking about Nathan. Suddenly, she couldn't wait to leave so she could see him.

"Get your ass in gear, Scott. Let's go then." Haley stood up.

. . . . .

Nathan walked around with a plastic red cup in his hand. He passed by a couple of people and like a good host, he was doing his rounds and saying hi to some of his friends that were currently partying at his beach house. He walked into the kitchen where he saw non other than Brooke Davis and Peyton Sawyer walk in.

"Ladies.." Nathan smirked as he put his drink down and took two fresh cups, handing it over to his new guests.

"Why thank you Nathan." Brooke eagerly took her cup.

"Good party." Peyton commented as she took her own. The three of them stood there and Nathan paused before taking another sip. The strangest feeling of dejavu coming over him. He shook it off and chatted with the girls for a little bit before a distinct voice could be heard in the background.

"Oh great, my prom date is here?" Brooke clapped her hands. Peyton laughed, finding it funny that Brooke had yet acknowledge Lucas as her boyfriend.

"Don't you mean boyfriend." Peyton teased.

Nathan chuckled. "Oh that means, Haley's finally here!" Nathan smiled and raced towards them.

Haley caught site of Nathan and immediately ran into his arms. He hugged her tight and then kissed the top of her forehead.

"A little late for your own party?" Nathan teased.

"Blame the diva over here." Haley threw her head back to Lucas. "I swear he's been hanging out with Brooke too much, it took him forever to get ready."

"HEY!" Lucas pouted.

"Oh Broody, stop pouting." Brooke teased as she tip toed up and kissed Lucas on the lips.

. . . . . .

The party was in full swing and Haley hated to admit it but she was having fun. She spent her time chatting with various friends and classmates that she would be leaving behind. Time seemed to fly and she looked at her watch and wondered where everyone was. Leaving a group of friends she had some classes with, she spotted Nathan.

He instantly came up to her and held her close.

"Save me. Brooke wants to play I Never and she's asking for you."

"Oh God." Haley rolled her eyes.

"Come on, let's go somewhere." Nathan took her hand.

"But the party?"

"What about it? Everyone's having fun, no one's breaking anything. Lucas can hold down the fort, come on." He pulled her along.

A minute later, the cool breeze hit their face and it was nice to just spend some time alone with Nathan. They walked down the pier next to his beach house that led onto the beach.

They kicked off their shoes and walked barefoot on the sand. They sat down on the lonely beach, the lights from the beach house and the noise of the party could faintly be seen and heard from the background, as well as the pier nearby filled with lights, games and rides. Haley settled in between Nathan's legs and leaned back against his chest.

"Is my girl having fun?"

"Yes." She smiled. "Thanks for doing this."

"Anything for you." He kissed the top of her head.

"How about you? Are you okay?" Haley asked concern. Ever since Nathan left the hospital, she'd always ask how he was and wanted to make sure he wasn't over doing it. It could get annoying but he knew it was out of love. The last thing he wanted to do was to make her worried like last time. He apologized profusely for not telling her and although Haley was upset about it, she couldn't blame him for wanting to keep onto something that held so much for him. He put on a good face but inside, she knew he hated the fact that he couldn't play professional basketball anymore. She gave him credit for keeping his cool about it and she did the best thing she could for him, which was simply to be there.

"I'm fine. I promise, I'm with you."

Haley just smiled wider and relaxed in his arms. Pretty soon, she felt him hug her tighter and his lips pressed against her neck, sending jolts of electricity through her body.

"Nathan." She moaned.

"God, I want you." He said breathlessly as his lips captured hers. Haley turned her body to fully face him and her hands wondered through his broad back and down to the hem of his shirt. He immediately took it off and reached for Haley's top and then kissed her again.

"Wait!" Haley pushed him off her before things got more heated. She knew exactly where this would end up. They'd recently started to become intimate again. Haley had been worried about Nathan _straining _himself but after much convincing and with Nathan keeping up his medication and check ups, she relaxed about it.

"What?" Nathan said breathless.

"We can't do this."

"Why not?" He chuckled.

"What if someone sees us?"

He chuckled and stood up and pulled her up as well.

"Come on baby, we're just having some fun."

"Fun huh?"

"Yeah.. we're here you and I, under this beautiful moon, on this empty beach." Nathan smirked.

"There'll be plenty of that later."

"Now." He kissed her, pouting like a wounded puppy.

Haley chuckled. "You need to cool down there buddy." Haley teased.

Nathan turned his head to the crashing waves and an idea popped into his head.

"Actually, that sounds like a great idea." He smirked wider. He took a step back and reached for his jeans and pulled it down, along with his boxers. Haley's eyes went wide, it was just the reaction Nathan was hoping for.

"Nathan!" She scolded. "What're you doing?"

He stepped out of his jeans and stood there naked before her, the effects of their heavy make out session still clearly visible. Haley's heart raced, _God he's gorgeous. _

"Cooling down." He walked backwards towards the water.

"You can't be serious!"

"Join me?" He stretched his hand out towards her.

"We can't!" Haley looked around to make sure they were still alone.

"Hales.." Nathan grinned and Haley cursed to herself. How could she say no to him, she could never.

"I'm going to kill you!" She muttered as she looked around some more and then quickly, she dropped her denim skirt and stepped out of them.

"Uh uh." Nathan shook his head.

Haley sighed. "Fine." She muttered, not believing she was doing this but at the same time, she couldn't help but feel excited, free. She was always like this with Nathan, so comfortable and free. She felt like she could do anything with him, like skinny dipping in the ocean for one. She stepped out of her panties and tossed her bra aside and ran passed Nathan into the water.

"Ahh, it's cold!!" She yelled. Nathan laughed as he came up behind her and grabbed onto her and dunked them both in the cool ocean water.

They came up for air a second later, the water not feeling as cold as it was. But then again, Nathan had his whole body pressed up against her for warmth. She held onto him and smiled. She kissed his bare chest and her hand found itself tracing the outline of Nathan's scar. It was the incision made over his heart when they took him into surgery after his heart attack. It would forever be a reminder of the night she almost lost him.

"Does it ever hurt?" She asked softly. He placed his hand over hers and looked down on her, her big brown eyes staring back at his cobalt blues.

"Scar stopped hurting when my heart stopped hurting. Right around the time you told me you love me and only me."

Haley smiled as her eyes watered and raised herself up and kissed him, again and again.

"I do love you."

. . . . . .

"I can't believe we did that." Haley said, not quite believing the just went skinny dipping.

"We did." Nathan laughed. "My girl is such a bad influence."

Haley gasped. "I am not."

Nathan continued to laugh as they made their way up the pier, back towards Nathan's beach house. They were still wet from their swim and they hoped no one noticed that they were gone for that long.

They stopped dead in their tracks when a lone figure came out of the shadows. Nathan moved in front of Haley, as if protecting her. In a way, he was.

"What're you doing here?" Nathan asked, his voice cold and no emotion.

"I know I shouldn't be here." Rachel said nervously.

"You got that right. Just go, no one wants you here, especially me."

"Yes, you're. You're right. It's just, I'm leaving tomorrow to join my parents in LA and I wanted to say, I'm, I'm sorry to both of you." Rachel let out with a shaky breath. Things had been different since prom. She nearly killed a man and nearly died herself. Rachel, Daunte and Dan were all fine. Daunte decided to let it go and not press any charges on Dan, likewise so did Rachel, she knew she didn't have any ground to stand on anyways. Daunte liked Nathan and was glad he was okay and he didn't want to put him or his family through anymore drama. The police also ruled it an accident and Dan was the one who was the most injured.

Nathan and Haley stood there for a moment staring at Rachel. Nathan gripped Haley's hand tighter and started to lead her back into the house. "Can you ever forgive me?" Rachel called out to them.

They both stopped and Nathan turned around. Haley gave him a reassuring smile and squeezed his hand in support.

"When I dig deep enough, I think I do forgive you." He turned back to Haley and then back to Rachel. "We both do."

Rachel gave a small smile and nodded.

"We just can't forget."

She ran her fingers through her red hair. "I, I understand."

"Take it from me, life is too short to be bitter and deceitful. Move on, Rachel. We already did." And with that they left, never to see Rachel Gatina again. But Nathan's parting words, would always be with her.

. . . . .

"Hey you okay?" Nathan stopped and turned to Haley.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Look, Rachel is out of our lives.."

Haley shook her head. "No, it's.. it's not about her. Like you said, I've moved on. It's just."

"What?"

Haley looked through the doors and saw everyone inside still having fun. She glanced at her watch and saw it was still early. She took a step back and grabbed a hold of Nathan's hand.

"Follow me."

Nathan chuckled. "Where we going?"

Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the pier and Haley was relieved they made it before the place closed. Most of the people were already starting to leave.

"Why are we here?" Nathan questioned since all their friends was back at his beach house down the road at a party for her.

"I wanted to give you, my graduation gift." She led them to the Ferris wheel.

He smiled, remembering when he first took her there. Back then, they had to keep their relationship a secret. Ever since he left the hospital, it was great not hiding and he took pride in being her boyfriend.

Haley went to the operator and whispered into his ear and then she came back to Nathan. They got inside one of the cars and slowly made their way up.

"Still afraid of heights?" Haley teased.

"I was never afraid. It was an act."

"Could've fooled me." Haley smirked.

"Come here!" He laughed as he held her closer to him. Just then the wheel stopped and Nathan noticed that they were at the highest point.

"I wonder why we stopped." He looked down at Haley knowingly.

She kissed his chest and then sat up. "I have a graduation gift." She stated and reached into her pocket. She handed him a folded piece of paper.

"I already know your schedule. I have it in my e-mail." Nathan stated once he unfolded the paper.

"I know, your parents also have a copy."

"Huh? Why would they have it?" Nathan questioned but then his eyes lighted up. "Don't tell me, my parents are taking me to see one of your shows?"

Haley chuckled. "Not exactly."

Nathan scrunched his eyebrow, begging her to just tell him already.

"You're parents need to know where you're going to be this summer." Haley stated nonchalantly.

"Huh?" Nathan was confused and then it dawned on him. "Wait, what!?"

"You're going on tour with me!" Haley squealed.

"WHAT?! Wait, how.. wha.." Nathan was speechless.

"I went to see your parents with every intention of asking them if you could come see one of my shows while I was abroad, maybe even stay with me for a little bit. But they took it to the next step and said that they would love for you to join me this summer. I couldn't exactly tell them no, plus I wanted you there, granted you take your meds and take it easy."

"Yeah, of course. I can't believe it. And my Dad's okay with this?"

"It was his idea." Haley smiled. Dan and Lucas' relationship was still strained but he was making a better effort with Nathan. This wouldn't erase all the bad stuff over the years but it was definitely a start to something better, Nathan hoped.

"I don't know what to say." He said softly.

"Say you'll go." Haley said a little nervously.

"Of course I'll go!" He exclaimed. "It's just I'm supposed to help Whitey at Gilmore for pre-season."

"Don't worry about Whitey, he already knows." As expected, Duke rescinded their offer for Nathan to play on the basketball team but because of his condition, Duke allowed him to keep his enrollment sans basketball scholarship of course. Nathan refused though and everyone understood why. It would always be a reminder to him that he couldn't be a Blue Devil, not really. So instead, he accepted Whitey's proposal to help him out in Gilmore College. They had a division II basketball program and Whitey took a job to coach there and offered Nathan an assistant coaching position as well as acceptance to the school. He would go there for a year or two and get his grades up and transfer to UNC to join Haley and Lucas. UNC was ten miles north of Gilmore so either way he could stay close to them. The only reason Haley wanted to go to Duke was for Nathan but she couldn't go there either. The easiest choice was to join Lucas at UNC, she was tutorgirl after all and received a full scholarship there s well.

"I.. umm.. wow." Nathan was having trouble forming words as he took everything in and took a deep breath.

"Lost your breath, huh?" Haley smiled.

Nathan regained his composure and flashed his trademark smirk. "You always leave me breathless." He grinned as he landed his lips on hers.

. . . . .

"There you are!!" Brooke dragged Nathan and Haley into the living room as soon as they entered the beach house.

"What took you guys so long?" Lucas asked.

"I told Nathan about the summer." Haley beamed.

Lucas laughed. "That's great." Lucas hugged Haley and Nathan.

"Yeah, I can't believe it. I have to get packing." Nathan stated.

"He'll probably bring more clothes than me." Haley teased.

"Hey!" Nathan retorted though she was probably right and Lucas just laughed.

"I wouldn't laugh if I were you, he takes just as long to get ready as you. You two really are brothers." Haley playfully teased Lucas, leaving both brothers pouting at her.

"Good job tutorgirl." Brooke gave Haley a high five.

"There you guys are!" Peyton approached them. "You're missing out on all the fun."

"Yeah, what's going on?" Nathan looked around and noticed everyone by the television. He looked at Haley and they both started to panic.

"I thought you got rid of the tape!" Haley's eyes went wide.

"That's at my house, maybe they found another one."

Haley gasped, mad at Nathan for not destroying the tape that was played at his last party or mad at herself for agreeing to do another one.

"There's another tape?!" Lucas could feel his dinner coming up from his stomach.

"Not that you freaks!" Peyton laughed and held the remote in her hands. "Remember the time capsule videos we did but Turner scrubbed it because everyone just kept mooning at the camera, well we still have some of the footage courtesy of Mouth." Peyton pressed play. "It's simply hilarious." Peyton grinned.

_"Hi, my name is Brooke Davis but you probably already know that seeing as in fifty years from now, my clothing label has taken off and you girls are wearing my clothes. Take it from me ladies of the future; there is nothing better than a hot but reasonably priced top and matching cute boy accessory to get you through high school. But careful ladies, the cute ones are usually the dogs too so try to find a sweet one. My friend Lucas is one of those, tall blond, and so cute.. wait.. can we edit that out!"_

_"Wait hold on Brooke." Mouth's voice can be heard in the background. Just then Brooke's phone vibrated and she saw a text message from Haley._

_Brooke started to laugh. "I just got a text message from Haley, her and Nathan are fighting again, I swear those to just need to do it already. This whole fighting sexual tension thing is getting old."_

_Mouth just laughed. "Alright, let's take two.."_

_. . . ._

_"Fifty years from now, I hope the Literature Department is making you read my books." Lucas laughed nervously into the camera. Umm.. my name is Lucas, Lucas Scott and I play varsity basketball but I really like to write and if this basketball thing doesn't work out I'd like to be an author. I know it doesn't sound that glamorous but I like to tell stories, like me for instance and growing up with me, my mom and my Uncle Keith, or that story about the girl next door.. or more like the girl across town in that big house with the red door." Lucas paused and shook his head. " Or about my half-brother, Nathan. We just got back from basketball camp and we hated each other's guts but now we're cool. I hope fifty years from now we'll still be in each other's lives and maybe by then he'll get along with my best friend Haley. We just came from the River Court and they were fighting again. They're always at each other's throats, I swear I need to find a way to make those two behave and get along but I don't think that'll ever happen. They just hate each other."_

_. . . ._

_"…" Haley stared blankly into the camera._

_"You okay Hales, the camera is rolling." Mouth said in the background. Haley sat up._

_"Oh yeah, I'm sorry. I'm distracted."_

_"Brooke mentioned something about a fight."_

_"Am I fat?" Haley asked out of nowhere._

_"Huh?"_

_"My 18th birthday is in a few weeks and my birthday wish is for him to go away."_

_"Who?"_

_"Nathan Scott!" Haley huffed. "Just what the hell does 'serious ass' mean. I tell you who's an ass, Nathan is. I mean the nerve of him, just leering at me and expecting me to fall at his feet. He said something about my but being 'serious' and I'm pretty sure he called me fat. So, I'm not a size zero, who is!? Last time I checked, zero is not a size. We can't all be fit like him. I mean not all of us play basketball 24/7. Some of us actually have things to do and okay yeah so I watch Lucas' basketball games, so what, I've always done that. And I don't check Nathan out. I mean when he's standing in front of me, all sweaty and bulging at all the right places, I have to look right. I mean yeah so what he is easy on the eyes, jerks can be cute and hot too. Wait, I didn't say that.. Mouth, can we start over?"_

_. . . . ._

_"So you want me to tell you about myself? Well I'm Nathan Scott and I own this place. ?And I'm not being cocky, I'm just confident and there's a difference. What's wrong with being confident and being sure of yourself? I tell you who has a problem with that, Haley Saint James. I can't wait for this school year to end and be rid of her and spend the rest of my summer.. my life free of her. If anyone is cocky, it's her, trying to act like she's better than me. Yeah sure, I was an ass to Lucas but we're cool now, I don't know what's her problem, it must be that time of the month… like all the time, seriously the girl needs to shut up. And I hope in fifty years, girls can learn to take a compliment. So when I say, you have a serious ass Haley James, that's meant as a good thing." Nathan smirked for the camera. "And I saw her at gym class, she has a decent rack too, I can totally see her doing that whole Baywatch running on the sand, bouncing thing.. running on the sand, skinny dipping." Nathan smirked some more and nodded. "Yeah.. totally could picture it… but don't tell her that.. crap.. Mouth, can we do this over?"_

_. . . ._

Everyone at the party was balling over in laughter. Both Haley and Nathan were a little embarrassed but after seeing Nathan's portion, Haley turned to him with an angry face.

Everyone silenced as they saw a fight coming between the two of them.

"Is that why you took me skinny dipping tonight!?!" Haley glared at him. A gasp can be heard through the room and Lucas nearly threw up in the cup he was holding. Once she realized what she said and how loud she said it and how everyone heard it and were now looking at her, she was suddenly feeling very red.

Nathan glanced around at all the eyes on them, some in shock, some in amusement, or in Lucas' case, wanting to break every bone in his body. He turned to Haley and could only smirk at her. There were already a lot of secrets between them and it was clear from the tapes how strong their passion to each other has always been. There was no point in lying and keeping things behind the scenes, not any more.

"Definitely." Nathan answered as he gave Haley a wink.

The End :(


End file.
